Walmart Opens First New Supercenter in 4 Years
Walmart has opened a new Texas Supercenter, the first of its kind in four years.
The store, announced Wednesday (April 30) and located in the Houston-area community of Cypress, is also the retail giant’s first new-construction “Store of the Future” in the U.S., and part of Walmart’s plan to build or convert more than 150 stores in the next several years.
“This isn’t just a ribbon cutting. It’s a commitment to the future, an investment in a community and new job opportunities,” John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said in a news release. “I’m proud of our associates in Cypress who brought this to reality.”
Later in the year, Walmart plans to open new Supercenters in Texas, Utah and California, and Neighborhood Market stores in Alabama and Florida. The company also plans to convert stores in California and New Jersey into Supercenters.
Walmart announced in January of last year that it aims to construct or convert more than 150 stores and remodel 650 additional locations over the next five years.
The new and remodeled stores are part of the company’s Store of the Future concept, which incorporates interactive technology that combines virtual and in-person shopping.
Wednesday’s opening comes days after Walmart announced it was “re-imagining the in-store shopping experience” as it implements its plan to refurbish more than 650 stores this year.
These updates include “big, bold signage,” new displays that better showcase products, expanded departments and new items. At the stores’ pharmacies, Walmart is adding wider aisles, a new private screening room and privacy checkout areas.
Walmart is also expanding online pickup and delivery in the remodeled stores “to fulfill the growing number of online customer orders,” the company said in a news release.
As PYMNTS wrote last week, these efforts are something Walmart and rival Amazon have in common: investing in “innovations designed to keep customers not just satisfied, but delighted.”
That’s because the two retailers increasingly share the same customers, according to PYMNTS Intelligence research. Those findings show that the percentage of Americans holding both Amazon Prime and Walmart+ subscriptions has almost doubled since 2021. Millennials are at the forefront of this movement, optimizing their digital lives by using the perks, discounts and ultra-fast shipping provided by both memberships.
“This shift toward ‘multi-subscriber’ behavior speaks volumes about today’s consumers: loyalty is increasingly transactional, driven by value, convenience and digital experience rather than long-standing brand allegiance,” PYMNTS wrote.
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