Carthage to Get New Express Walmart
The site of the proposed Walmart Express on N.C. 24/27 West and Simpson Road in 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 — 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.
“Eighty-five 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 it 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 driveway,” 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.
Contact John Chappell at jfchappell@gmail.com.
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Comments
ladylane 1 year ago
Will this be Aberdeen, Midway or some place else?
LeeMcGraw 1 year ago
Welcome! It is small and will fit in fine. They fussed about McDonalds, they fussed about Hardees. "They" are a minority ... (doom and gloomers.) I support all businesses in Carthage. All. Food Lion is a pretty big boy and can handle itself. It is newly renovated and will do just fine. The small crowd of picket people who hated McDonalds coming here may appear...but that's their right. Free market, free to choose where to eat and shop. Great Country! I thank God every day for allowing me to live here. We are so blessed.
Bflat 1 year ago
I won't be shopping at Mini Walmart or any Walmart. The big giant thinks it can take over the market and drive out the smaller little guys, has a poor track record in employee treatment, and if you have not read about the veggies it sells, then do some research. Cantaloupe with salmonella, glass fragments in its frozen vegetables recealled, alfalfa sprouts recalled, Look into it and you will find evidence that WalMart puts profit over people, sells a lot of tainted and unsafe products. It has tried to block where certain food products come from and the public has a right to know that. Well chew on safety for a while. Save money, live better? No thank you on tainted food products.
JAP 1 year ago
Why does The Pilot always recycle old stories to make them appear new? This story was published a few days ago and had about 20-30 comments. The only thing new this time around is the picture.
RD28327 1 year ago
Probably because it is a "Walmart Express" as opposed to a "Mini-Wlamart". Dang! Are folks over at The Pilot starting to proofread and fact check before putting stories out to the print edition and the web??? We can only hope. LOL
dustyrhoades 1 year ago
JAP, as I understand it, the Pilot publishes breaking stories first on the website, then repeats them when they come out in the print edition.
RD28327 1 year ago
Make that a "Mini-Walmart". I either need to learn how to type or get my glasses fixed! LOL
JER 1 year ago
RD28327: Your comment was ironic and made me LOL. In fact, I'm still LOL-ing. It's a LOL fest!!
boomer 1 year ago
I agree with Lee McGraw.Just look at the good business McDonald's does & did it hurt Ronnie's Chuckwagon?...No, not judging from all the vehicles parked there everytime we pass by. I remember all the protesting & petitioning that went on then..None of us like to eat at the same place every day.We like a "choice", and it's also nice to have more places to shop so we don't have to drive all the way to Aberdeen or Southern Pines.We've got lots of room to grow here before we need to complain !!
busymoma 1 year ago
While I understand that growth is a good thing and a positive sign, I just dont understand why Carthage needs a Walmart express. We have a Food Lion, a Fred's, a Family Dollar and Dollar General. I think a major part of the Carthage charm is the fact that it is a small town and I feel we are slowly but surely losing that charm. We are fortunate to have 3 Walmarts within 20-25 miles. We keep feeding into these big chains and we are pushing the smaller businesses out. I would really like to see Carthage work to keep its small town charm.
dustyrhoades 1 year ago
busymoma, I understand what you're saying. but right now too much of our "small town charm" seems to be made up of empty spaces.
Bflat 1 year ago
True that...except for the federal sized JAIL and public safety building.; Just think, the courthouse used to be the biggest building in Carthage...! People protested that and said it was the wrong place, would cause eventual parking problems to the degree it should not be in downtown. It is all of that.
Even the CFD didn't have a firetruck with ladder of sufficient size to reach the top floor. When taking a group of Cub Scouts through, this fact was pointed out and one little boy asked what would happen if it caught on fire. Arthur Barber didn't even blink and just said , "Them people will just have to jump out from up there." LOL.
Small town charm is just about gone from Mayberry/Carthage as more and more of the big box store come in forcing out the little guys.
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