Mini-Walmart Coming to Carthage
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Walmart is coming to Carthage – not the big box, but a new junior version called Walmart Express. It’s the giant chain’s way of joining the feeding frenzy of value-focused buyers flooding to lower priced places like Fred’s, Dollar General or Family Dollar.
America’s emptier wallets have been pulling customers away from superstores, so Walmart is following them and their money with these new, pocket-sized outlets. The first one opened last July on Chicago’s South Side – an experiment at the time that led the Arkansas retailer to move to test the idea in its home state and in North Carolina as well as Illinois.
This is one of the first 15 to 20 Walmart Express stores. One opened in Richfield, N.C. – a tiny community just north of Albemarle – last year. It was, or soon will be, followed by others in Pikeville, Creedmoor, Lillington, Midway, Ayden, Yanceyville, Liberty, Snow Hill and now Carthage. The company is seeking applicants for a store supervisor and a general manager in Carthage – both full-time jobs.
Town Manager Carol Sparks told the town board about it at its April meeting Monday night.
“They were in Arkansas today signing the papers,” she said. “It’s a done deal.”
This will be a small store, a 14,500-square-foot place only a tenth the size of one of Walmart’s supercenters. It won’t be focused on big screen TVs but on basics like food and hairspray.
“85 percent of it will be grocery,” Sparks said. “There will be a small pharmacy. I talked to somebody today, and they said they will probably be finished with by September or October.”
It will be built across from McDonald’s on the same side of N.C. 24/27 (Monroe Street) as the Flying Tiger Chinese restaurant.
“They are talking with DOT about a drive-way,” Sparks said.
After determining that the site plan and landscape plan complied with town ordinances and the planning board recommended approval, Carthage granted Walmart a development permit April 5.
(See more in Friday’s edition of The Pilot)
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Comments
saddlesore 1 year, 1 month ago
What a shame.
SH59 1 year, 1 month ago
I guess Walmart is trying to compete with Dollar Store now. Isn't it interesting that Walmart is one of the first Box stores to go small again. Remember the smaller one we had at the Belk's shopping center?
TooHot 1 year, 1 month ago
Great news for Harris Teeter and Food Lion
LeeMcGraw 1 year, 1 month ago
This is a good thing fo Carthage. A State Employees Credit Union will be here soon as well. We welcome new business.
Arestorer 1 year, 1 month ago
How long is the average stay in one building for Walmart ??? Maybe 10 years ?? Then what ?? I dont buy my groceries at Walmart now, and won't be if they move to C-city. I had heard that some of the big chain stores were going to be trying smaller venues..But, I think when it comes to Grocery stores, Food Lion is organized better,in the south,for small town stores.
handyssc2 1 year, 1 month ago
That's just great! Add that to the factory outlet center and there will be no local businesses left .
cantstandya 1 year, 1 month ago
Wish that a Kroger store would come to this area,drive to Cary to shop there but savings are well worth it.
AM910 1 year, 1 month ago
How about a regular size Target in Southern Pines?
Bflat 1 year, 1 month ago
Wally's has a track record for poor employee treatment, drives out the mom & pop businesses, and loads of imported inferior products. Dollar General, Fred's and Family Dollar do carry grocery items and other variety merchandise. The newly remodeled Food Lion is wonderful. I dislike shopping at Walmart and do not buy groceries there.
RD28327 1 year, 1 month ago
Can I buy Frosted Mini-Wheats at this new Mini-WalMart? As the blind man once said to his deaf dog, "We shall see...."
cantstandya 1 year, 1 month ago
How about a Target as one has posted and along with that a Home Depot,the Lowes here is terrible and driving to the Sanford store is well worth the trip but with gas prices not just a real economical savings if you just need small quantities but there service is best I have ever dealt with,it's a shame the Southern Pines location has such poor customer service.
LeeMcGraw 1 year, 1 month ago
Rube, I will petition for your frosted mini wheats! The bags of cheese waffles are not in town anymore either. Yeah Beth, Food Lion is now redone...very nice!...probably resulting from the knowledge that this market could support a second store. These people know demographics.Competition breeds excellence. Growing up here we had two 5& dime stores, 2 drug stores and 2 grocery stores at most times. Food Lion moved in and pretty much ruled for years. They will be fine. So glad they are here for us. I will shop at both.
Beentheredonethat 1 year, 1 month ago
Really people?! The traffic in that area isn't bad enough? Everyday there a numerous near accidents because of the congestion. Everybody was up in arms about the new jail, but they aren't about a Wal Mart coming into our town? Why not put it at the cross roads and make it a full size store...even better, make it a Target with Home Depot...now your talking!
FightFireWithFire 1 year, 1 month ago
Big box stores cause many small businesses to end up closing their doors and do not create a atmosphere of competition. Especially Wal Mart. I have not stepped into a Wal Mart in over 5 years now and I am none the worse off for it. The reason? Wal Mart was throwing children's clothing away in dumpsters behind the store and when they saw people removing them from the dumpsters, they ordered their employees to destroy the clothes before putting them in the dumpster. Did they donate those clothes to the needy? Nope, they wrote it off as a loss. Shameful. I don't like big business, never have.
Crash11 1 year, 1 month ago
I hope there's a stop light coming too...traffic is going to be a nightmare.
Arestorer 1 year, 1 month ago
If they build it, Why wouldnt they research what is needed in Carthage...Not another grocery store !, How about adult clothing and sporting goods....Those are things Carthage needs...
teufelhunden 1 year, 1 month ago
Carthage needs a Chikfila and Sou Pines needs a Target!!! I'm from a huge city but I've lived in the country too-this "traffic" around here is not bad!!!
Arestorer 1 year, 1 month ago
How about we let the Pines area of Moore county, be our metropolitan area,and keep Carthage one of our small towns.
DoubleHeroides 1 year, 1 month ago
Unfortunately to sit and bemoan the plight of the small business man who has to close up shop because of a big box store runs counter to free market principles and when you speak out against the free market it typically results in someone being unfairly called (at least from what I’ve seen on these comment sections) a “communist”.
Either businesses should be to a certain degree unfettered by regulations and allowed to grow, expand, build and make money how they want or they should be controlled to allow smaller businesses to continue to thrive and survive. I don’t have a definitive opinion either way, just pointing out that it is the double edged sword of our market system.
bettertimes 1 year, 1 month ago
People keep talking about how Walmart puts the mom & pop or small businesses out of business. Where are these mom & pops and small businesses?? I don't recall a one owner grocery store in Carthage or anywhere in Moore County that I know of. ALL of the grocery stores, variety stores, etc around are big franchises now. Food Lion , Dollar General, etc. It's too late - the mom and pops have been gone for YEARS. Too late to complain now. Might as well shop at these big name stores because it's the only places to shop now for food, reasonable priced clothing, and daily necessities..... Sad......so sad.
str8one 1 year, 1 month ago
Come on people, Carthage needs a walmart. All we have in town is one grocery store, 2 drug stores, 3 dollar stores, a couple fast food joints, a couple gas stations, & banks. I think the new walmart will work out great, considering some of the elderly & disabled people can't get to aberdeen to shop. Most Foodlions have a pharmacy( ours doesn't). Maybe with the competition, Foodlion will lower some of their prices.
cantstandya 1 year, 1 month ago
They might be wanting to compete for the toiletries contract for the new detention center,they seem to be able to purchase things alot cheaper than even our municipalities and government agencies,and that place is going to require many of those type items,we want t keep those residents happy once they are the guest of our county.
Arestorer 1 year, 1 month ago
I know,,Lets just pave the whole county,paint green where we want it to look like grass and trees,4 or 6 lane all the roads,and build 20 mile long strip-malls. Then maybe all you country-life haters will be happy. And we might as well learn to drink Sea water, so we can drill for Natural gas.
FightFireWithFire 1 year, 1 month ago
bettertimes: "People keep talking about how Walmart puts the mom & pop or small businesses out of business. Where are these mom & pops and small businesses?? I don't recall a one owner grocery store in Carthage or anywhere in Moore County that I know of. ALL of the grocery stores, variety stores, etc around are big franchises now. Food Lion , Dollar General, etc. It's too late - the mom and pops have been gone for YEARS. Too late to complain now. Might as well shop at these big name stores because it's the only places to shop now for food, reasonable priced clothing, and daily necessities..... Sad......so sad."
What about Bo's in Southern Pines and Davenport's Galaxy in Aberdeen? Those are not franchises. I actually had a lady from NY come into my shop and ask me if I missed it. When I asked her "miss what?" she replied "being able to walk out your front door and have everything right there." I almost spit coffee all over the counter. I am sick to death of trying to explain to people that some of us DO NOT WANT THAT HERE. I wish people that like it so much would stay in NY, NJ, Ohio, Chicago or whatever big city they come from and stop trying to turn cool little towns around here into their shopping meccas.
bettertimes 1 year, 1 month ago
to FightFireWithFire - I stand corrected - thank you for pointing those stores out. I agree that people should patron those stores - I'm all for the little guy and all for the little town and country air. I grew up on a farm. The point I was trying to make is people are complaining about Walmart and saying they'll shop at Food Lion and Harris Teeter instead - what's the difference? All of those are big corporate companies that have helped pushed out the individual.
Carthage is becoming like Aberdeen, overrun with big business ( I choose Ronnies over Hardee's or McDonalds every time!) and traffic is getting annoying. It's such a shame the big corps are all moving in - the little guy just can't seem to compete any longer....
ladylane 1 year, 1 month ago
Davenport Galaxy was solded years ago and now closed no longer exist. Things change we have to go with the flow as Steve Harvey said this morning let the past go and live in the furture don't let the past control your life. Enjoy.
FightFireWithFire 1 year, 1 month ago
Actually, I was just past Davenports the other day, they are still open. Aberdeen has done a terrific job of trying to revitalize the downtown area and new businesses are moving in and doing well. We could do the same, I believe. People just have to WANT to.
buckmark 1 year, 1 month ago
I have been in the Richfield mini WalMart it is very small and not very clean. Wish WalMart would stay away,
Flabbergasted 1 year, 1 month ago
Davenports is closed, no longer and boarded up. Has been for a while. Just called the number to double check and the phone/number has been disconnected and no longer in service.
boomer 1 year, 1 month ago
I'm glad we're getting another store but I wish it was the "big" store! Oh,and does anyone know anything about the Factory Outlet Center that "handyssc2" referred to? I haven't heard anything about that one.
cantstandya 1 year, 1 month ago
By the time people realize what a great area downtown,Southern Pines is,and same for Carthage it will be too late,once those elements are gone many will realize what they had and it will never be as it once was,progress is sometimes not always a good thing since it deprives us of that quality of life so many have enjoyed,small businesses family owned can't compete with the likes of these chain stores who only turn areas into fields of parking lots and signage that lines the streets.
Bflat 1 year, 1 month ago
How are all those in the JAIL going to shop at the Mini Walmart? There are many vacant store fronts and office buildings in the Town. Also, keep in mind the KFC decided not to build on the very site that the Mini Walmart is going to be. I plan to treat it the same way that many did with Bi-Lo...just not going to go there.
JER 1 year, 1 month ago
Some things are not complicated. Walmart is a large and expanding business because people shop there. Small "Mom and Pop" stores go out of business because people do not shop there. If you want a business to not go out of business, shop there. Really, it is that simple. But, you may say, the little guy has higher prices. If that is the reason you don't shop with the little guy then be honest with yourself: you had a choice and you chose to let the little guy die. Walmart (or any of the big box chain stores) are not the bad guys. They offered you a choice and you chose them. It is YOU...not them that put Mom and Pop into retirement
debsalomon 1 year, 1 month ago
Might make you feel a bit better to know that Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Fresh Market and Lowe's (supermarket) are all NC-based companies. Nature's Own in Southern Pines sells expensive natural and organic foods, but the owner is right there. As for Wal-Mart's grocery prices..yes, the appear to be lower but not always. I have found many items cheaper at the supermarkets, usually on special. But we have to be realistic: Families impacted by the recession often have no choice but to shop lowest prices. They are also the demographic that, with high fuel prices, can't afford to go from store to store so Wal-Mart is the one-stop choice. Stop by Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon; you'll see what I mean.
JohnChappell 1 year ago
Carthage has lots of owner-operated retail businesses. The new town commissioner, Pat Motz=Frazier, owns and operates The Old Buggy Inn and is working to reestablish the Carthage Board of Trade. Keith Hardware has everything from the tiniest screw to lumber, cast iron stoves, dog houses, concrete steps and -- yes -- brand new buggies. Leon Zhang opened his new Peking Wok in Carthage as The Flying Tiger (see picture above) and and there are others like Pete's restaurant (same family as Carolina Fried Chicken in Robbins). Seems to me one point many are missing is encouraging news: new investment in Carthage..
Arestorer 1 year ago
Just wish they would try to get something that Carthage does'nt already have..
gardengirl 1 year ago
BOO!!!! Not happy about this at all!!! Who is entitled to make these decisions? Carthage will definitely now be one of those trashy towns, rather than a quaint county seat. Guess I'll be moving! ICK!!!
DoubleHeroides 1 year ago
This goes back to what I was getting at earlier: The American Dream disrupts the American Way of Life. The American Dream of reaching the top, getting powerful, successful, wealthy, in a good station is what people strive for when they get into business but that is almost the antithesis of the American Way of Life which is a quieter, simpler existence. It is a tragic flaw and the only remedy (good, bad or indifferent) is to increase regulations on big businesses that would not allow them to locate in small towns. The only problem there is that it runs counter to the overriding political practices of the American South which is to de-regulate and allow businesses to have their free reign because regulations are representative of big repressive government that wants to ruin your life and take away your freedom. Unfortunately without any kind of local rules the big box stores will continue to show up.
You don’t want them in your small towns you have to create laws that stop them from showing up. That is the honest truth unless you can think of another way to prevent them from buying a piece of land and opening a business.