Posted on 07/28/2012 1:23:29 PM PDT by jeannineinsd
HUNTINGTON BEACH Families and couples clustered near the produce section, inspecting the fruits on display. Other shoppers flocked to the meat section. Kim Dematteo went to the condiments aisle in search of organic products like coconut oil.
"I'm trying to go organic ... have a healthy lifestyle," the 40-year-old Huntington Beach resident said. "Here, they have herbs and vegetables and the prices are great." After the ribbon was cut Friday morning, Huntington Beach became the first city in California to have a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. In contrast to a typical Wal-Mart store, the neighborhood market carries fresh produce, bakery items and features a pharmacy and a grab-and-go hot food section. The market also tries to stock locally grown organic fruits and vegetables, said Rachel Wall, senior manager of community affairs for Wal-Mart. The fruits of their attempts were displayed prominently in the form of Camarillo-grown strawberries, located close to the entrance of the store.
The Beach Boulevard market in the same shopping center as Big Lots and Mamas on 39 also caters to its beach surroundings, carrying boogie boards, sand toys and an entire rack of sunscreen.
Friday's grand opening ceremony tried to evoke a sense of community, with an invocation by a local pastor and appearances by several Huntington Beach City Council members, including Mayor Don Hansen, as well as State Sen. Bob Huff and California State Assembly Member Connie Conway. "Eight years ago, when I took office, I said I wanted to revitalize the older shopping centers," Hansen said.
"(Walmart's) going to be serving our community in ways it has never been served before."
The market created 65 new jobs, positions that received 9,000 applications in total, Wall said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Local WalMart here pays slightly better than minimum and uses local produce. Just finished a watermelon from a local grower bought at the AWFUL WalMart. It was a great watermelon too!
At least 9,000 people with their pocketbooks on the line disagree with you.
Is YOUR pocketbook on the line?
No one can compete with Market Basket. They buy all their properties cash, no unions, no mortgages, no frills. Low prices. They beat Wal Mart too (and much better meats).
How do they respond to a dead battery in one of those obese-mobiles? "We need an associate for a beached whale on the frozen foods aisle."
Here in Florida, Hannaford's sister chain - Sweetbay - is giving Publix atough time.
They already do, they just don't make a big noise about it. One example.....my sis-in-law sends me packages of shelled pecans every fall (which we freeze and use all year) from a Wal-Mart in Zachary, LA. Those pecans are from a pecan shelling operation in New Roads, LA. That's about as local as it gets (26 miles apart, according to Google Maps).
A lot of hispanic suoermarkets are opening up in San Diego area, and their prices are terrific.. the produce is great, meats are realistic in price.. I just stocked my freezer with 99 cent pork chops, and 88 cent whole pork legs, that they were glad to cut up and slice. The asian stores are great too with good prices... I seldom shop at the big union stores any more..only if they have a great meat sale..which is very seldom
Even the produce?
Oh. You mean as opposed to the no jobs at no pay and no benefits that were the option?
Can't say as I can make heads or tails of your comment.
What is going on? Did FR merge with AMES FAN CLUB?
Amesfanclub.com is a website for AMES Department Stores and other defunct stores.
9000 applications for 65 jobs...How sad. Pathetic, really. Give the Imposter from Mombasa four more years and this country will be on ice...
Not for the Mexicans at my local Wal-Mart.
Did the 'pork' come from a pig, or some other animal?
"I'm trying to go organic ... have a healthy lifestyle," the 40-year-old Huntington Beach resident said. "Here, they have herbs and vegetables and the prices are great."
At the same time, Walmart, a savvy marketer, recognizes that there is a certain segment of the populastion that wants to "go organic"...and lead "a healthy lifestyle".
Organic produce commands a premium price -- yet it is usually short of the quality found in non-organic produce. One is grown in a field that has been fertilixed and treated with pesticide, one has not. The crop grown in the former field is generally healthier and more productive, thus less expensive.
The latter is in demand because it is perceived as being "better for you", though it is not. And it is more expensive to grow...because the yields are lower.
As a rule, people anxiousw to pay a premium for "organic food" thru a supermarket are in the same group as the people willing to pay a premium for their electric power because the billing company is a "green energy" company.
***The first store of this new format opened in Huntington Beach yesterday. ***
We got a few here in NW Arkansas. They are the only grocery in some areas.
***Not sure whether Ralphs will be any more responsive to this than they are to anything else.***
I went to RALPHS and WALMART while visiting San Clementie several years ago. I noticed some items at RALPHS were almost a third more in price what WALMART was.
“...one of those disabled scooter carts...”
I call them “Lard-A-Bouts”.
From later in the article: “Wal-Mart also presented checks to local charities and community service organizations, like the Boys and Girls Club of Huntington Valley and Kiwanis of Huntington Beach. The Bolsa Chica Conservancy received a $25,000 grant.”
Looks like they had to pay the usual bribes.
The supermarkets are generally dirty and shabby. I guess the produce is OK, but we were eating mostly in restaurants.
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