Hypermart USA
Encyclopedia
Hypermart USA was a demonstrator project operated by Wal-Mart
in the 1980s, which attempted to combine groceries and general merchandise under one roof at a substantial discount. The hypermart
concept was modeled after French retailer Carrefour
which had been operating big box stores in France
and Brazil
. The Texas
stores were operated in partnerships with Cullum Companies, former owner of Tom Thumb supermarket
s.
All stores used a floorplan that exceeded 220,000 sq. ft. (20,000 m²). They featured a mini-mall, food court
, arcade
, bank
, and other kiosk operations.
had brought on a decline in retail sales. Although the stores were profitable, sales projections were too optimistic and the company did not anticipate the massive heating and cooling costs, the resistance of customers towards parking and congestion issues, and the formidable shopping experience in stores "too big to find anything."
The first Wal-Mart Supercenter, which used a floorplan in the 125000 sq ft (11,612.9 m²) range, was opened in 1988 in Washington, Missouri
. As the Supercenter proved to be a much more profitable experiment, Wal-Mart renamed the stores "Wal-Mart's Hypermart USA" in April 1990, and eventually began either converting them to Supercenter operations or closing them.
The Hypermart USA concept officially discontinued in 1990, when Wal-Mart announced it was converting Kansas City's Hypermart USA in Benjamin Plaza near Bannister Mall
into a Wal-Mart Supercenter. At the time, Wal-Mart said it would cost almost $5 million to renovate the 270000 sq ft (25,083.8 m²). store. This store closed mid-January 2007 with the opening of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter on the site of the former Blue Ridge Mall now Blue Ridge Crossing
as the first Wal-Mart "high-efficiency" store which opened January 19, 2007. An inefficient floorplan and the facility's large size were cited as some of the reasons for the relocation.The original Hypermart in Garland, Texas closed in May 2008, and was replaced by Wal-Mart's first "Hispanic Community" store a few blocks away.
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
in the 1980s, which attempted to combine groceries and general merchandise under one roof at a substantial discount. The hypermart
Hypermarket
In commerce, a hypermarket is a superstore combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including full groceries lines and general merchandise...
concept was modeled after French retailer Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
which had been operating big box stores in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. The Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
stores were operated in partnerships with Cullum Companies, former owner of Tom Thumb supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s.
All stores used a floorplan that exceeded 220,000 sq. ft. (20,000 m²). They featured a mini-mall, food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
, arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
, bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
, and other kiosk operations.
History
The prototype did not go as well as planned. Wal-Mart was unaccustomed to operating such massive stores, and an economic recessionLate 1980s recession
The recession of the early 1990s describes the period of economic downturn affecting much of the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Causes:...
had brought on a decline in retail sales. Although the stores were profitable, sales projections were too optimistic and the company did not anticipate the massive heating and cooling costs, the resistance of customers towards parking and congestion issues, and the formidable shopping experience in stores "too big to find anything."
The first Wal-Mart Supercenter, which used a floorplan in the 125000 sq ft (11,612.9 m²) range, was opened in 1988 in Washington, Missouri
Washington, Missouri
Washington is a city on the Missouri River in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,243 at the 2000 census. It is the corn cob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum located in Washington.-Geography:...
. As the Supercenter proved to be a much more profitable experiment, Wal-Mart renamed the stores "Wal-Mart's Hypermart USA" in April 1990, and eventually began either converting them to Supercenter operations or closing them.
Bannister Mall
Bannister Mall was a shopping mall on the southeast corner of Kansas City, Missouri that closed on May 31, 2007, after being open for almost 27 years. It was originally anchored by Dillard's , JCPenney, The Jones Store, and Sears.-History:...
into a Wal-Mart Supercenter. At the time, Wal-Mart said it would cost almost $5 million to renovate the 270000 sq ft (25,083.8 m²). store. This store closed mid-January 2007 with the opening of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter on the site of the former Blue Ridge Mall now Blue Ridge Crossing
Blue Ridge Crossing
Blue Ridge Crossing is a shopping center located in Kansas City, Missouri and Independence, Missouri on I-70 & Sterling Avenue at Exit 10.-Location:...
as the first Wal-Mart "high-efficiency" store which opened January 19, 2007. An inefficient floorplan and the facility's large size were cited as some of the reasons for the relocation.The original Hypermart in Garland, Texas closed in May 2008, and was replaced by Wal-Mart's first "Hispanic Community" store a few blocks away.
Locations
- Garland, TexasGarland, Texas-Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....
(December 28, 1987) - Poplar Bluff, MissouriPoplar Bluff, MissouriPoplar Bluff is a city in Butler County located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway to the Ozarks" among other names. As of the 2000 U.S...
(January 1988) - Topeka, KansasTopeka, KansasTopeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
(January 1988) - Arlington, TexasArlington, TexasArlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
(August 1988) - Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
(February 1990)
Further reading
- Wal-Mart launches Hypermart USA
- Wal-Mart gambles that Hypermart will pay off in small town, USA
- Wal-Mart tests similar hypermarkets - Hypermart USA, Wal-Mart SuperCenter
- Wal-Mart hatches a 'Super' winner - Wal-Mart SuperCenters
- Hypermart USA units get SuperCenter-type facelift
- Walmart Replaces former Garland Hypermart location with the companies first Hispanic Community Store