Why Did Walmart Just Buy a Pittsburgh Mall?

Walmart just purchased a shopping mall near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In a statement provided to Retail Dive, the company shared that it has plans to redevelop property located at the Monroeville Mall and Annex in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. This $34 million purchase is in partnership with Cypress Equities, a Texas-based real estate and development firm.

“Walmart did purchase the Monroeville Mall and is very interested in being part of any future redevelopment of this site,” the retailer said in a Tuesday statement. “Walmart is working with Cypress on mall operations and potential redevelopment of the site.”

According to the retailer, this is the “first time the company acquired an operating mall of this size.” There have been no details revealed regarding why the company has bought the mall as of yet.

Cypress CEO Chris Maguire shared with Retail Dive that the project is still in its early stages. Therefore the company does not have a timeline of when retail watchers can expect to learn more about the project’s details or when it will open.

Walmart's latest acquisition is a shopping mall.https://t.co/zTFrBDu9zv #retail #realestate #mall #acquisition

— Chain Store Age (@ChainStoreAge) February 5, 2025

Monroeville Mall currently has over 130 tenants, including department stores such as Macy’s and JCPenney, specialty retailers like Claire’s, Victoria’s Secret, and American Eagle, and a Cinemark movie theater, according to Monroeville Mall’s website. The mall is on a 186-acre site and was used during the filming of the George A. Romero film, “Dawn of the Dead.” Walmart’s mall deal was previously reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Walmart Continues To Break New Ground as a Retail Chain

On Jan. 30, 2025, Walmart announced the expansion of its pharmacy delivery, now available across the United States. According to a press release, the retailer is now ensuring same-day pharmacy delivery to customers in 49 states.

RetailWire previously reported that Walmart is the first retailer to combine pharmacy, general merchandise, and groceries into a single online order. Same-Day Pharmacy Delivery stands as one of the company’s most ambitious tech-driven initiatives, leveraging a blend of advanced in-store and cloud-based systems, artificial intelligence, and a cutting-edge geospatial platform to streamline store-to-door service.

Through this platform, customers have the option to pick three options for delivery once a prescription is filed: same-day scheduled, on-demand, and express. These options can be utilized once a customer’s order is filled by a local Walmart pharmacist.