Wal-Mart (WMT) still sees no love in the Bay Area

Posted Sep 13th 2007 6:30PM by Brian White
Filed under: Bad News, Wal-Mart (WMT)

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) may not ever get any love in the San Francisco area. The world's largest retailer had its hopes for more store frontage in the San Francisco Bay Area dashed this week when the retailer's primary construction vendor pulled out from its prior application to build the big-box location. The vendor was controlled by a family that was apparently sympathetic to the plight of chasing off new Wal-Mart stores in the Bay Area, so it pulled its application for building a new Wal-Mart Supercenter as a result.

The new Wal-Mart location, which was to be built in the North Concord area, now has no firm to build it. North Concord residents and the City Council there had cited the Wal-Mart proposal as inadequate in addressing issues such as traffic, public safety, urban decay, water control, energy and parking. In other words, the usual suspects when a municipality wants to fend off a proposed Wal-Mart location.

Of course, Wal-Mart has a history of trying again and again to get locations built in areas that have significant shopper traffic and good demographics, and surely the retailer won't put its tail between its legs and leave town like Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott indicated would happen in New York City recently. With only three Wal-Mart Supercenters approved in the Bay Area in the last four years, Wal-Mart has been beaten up pretty well in that area, although it continues the fight.

Tags: Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart california, Wal-martCalifornia, WMT

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-13-2007 @ 7:37PM

LShields said...

I use to shop at wal-mart. The store located on Albemarle Road in Charlotte NC. There aproximately 20 plus people trying to check out and 1 cashier up front I had a buggy full of stuff and asked if they had any more cashiers and the lady told me I could go to the Garden shop and check out. I told her I was parked in front in the handicapped parking, why would I want to do that? Left the buffy full of stuff and never been back.

9-13-2007 @ 8:50PM

jewel said...

Shocker, why are they doing that to the people? Because Frisco is all about BIG UNIONS, who seduce everybody, including the employee. So sad for the real people, the ones that can't afford what the politicians and the big union good ol boys can They tried that garbage here in So Cal and we the real people won.

9-13-2007 @ 11:11PM

Brockage said...

Not the first place where special interest groups block something that give savings to shoppers who aren't rich.

9-14-2007 @ 12:15AM

goodguy889 said...

WALMART DOESN'T PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES AND TRIES TO TAKE AWAY BENEFITS. THEY ALSO DONT LIKE GAYS OR MINORITIES. KEEP THEIR STORES IN KANSAS NOT S.F.. 4 OF THE TOP 10 RICHEST PEOPLE ARE WALTONS. SPEND A COUPLE OF EXTRA PENNIES, SHOP AT KMART OR LOCAL STORES. GIVE THE WORKING MAN A CHANCE, BOYCOTT WM.

9-14-2007 @ 2:22AM

paris hilton said...

what is walmart? that`s not hot, it must be for poor poeple

9-14-2007 @ 7:14AM

Artist durkART said...

I hate Walmart. Living in Central Florida (Orlando), every community has a Walmart. Communities no longer have "character" - all their big box blue stores. For the last 20 years, my message has been constant - Say "No" to Walmart. They don't pay good, pay benefits. Finally they pull the character out of neighborhoods and squash small business, with their cheap ass, lead based merchandise from China.

9-14-2007 @ 7:45AM

Mike said...

Let the consumer decide. Wal-Mart didn't become the most successful retailer in history by NOT giving the customer what they wanted.

San Francisco needs to allow it's citizens to determine the ultimate success or failure of Wal-Mart in that market... not a few uber-rich housewife-turned-activists.

Is there a Target in the Bay area? If so, the hypocrisy is astounding.

9-16-2007 @ 1:25PM

M. Barsotti said...

The small (84,000) town of Clovis, California is considering approval of a 24-hour Super Wal Mart Center in a residential area, just 6 blocks away from the quaint center of town, Old Town Clovis. Why the City Council and Mayor are even considering allowing a developer to bring this monstrosity to our beautiful town is so sad. The taxes gleaned from this big box of crap will be used to fund more police officers - well, I'd be willing to pay extra tax dollars each year, or support any tax measure or bond rather than give over the soul and character of our lovely community for the sake of Wal Mart. City representatives have to be able to see beyond "green" to how destructive Wal Mart would be to this area - I am sure it would actually lower the value of our neighborhood properties - Wal Mart officials always promise to be good neighbors and then the retail outlet goes to hell in a hand basket bringing the surrounding neighborhoods with it. Just once it would be wonderful if the politicians actually listened to their constituents and did the right thing.