Most people know Walmart to Go as the retailer's nascent attempt at home delivery. Now, however, the banner also has a physical presence at a single convenience store in Bentonville, AK.
According to a report by The City Wire, the new Walmart to Go had a soft opening last Saturday with its grand opening planned for tomorrow, March 19. The paper described the new store as "part traditional convenience store, part grocery, part quick serve restaurant."
The retailer is working with Bentonville Butcher & Deli to run a quick service meat and sides counter in the back of the store. The store also features a Krispy Kreme doughnut stand, a coffee station and soda and Icee fountains.
Deisha Barnett, senior director of corporate communications at Walmart, told Arkansas Business that the company had no plans to build additional Walmart to Go stores at this point. Items sold in the 2,500 square-foot location are "priced at Wal-Mart everyday low prices," she said.
"We're about bringing value to shoppers whenever and wherever they want to shop," Ms. Barnett told Arkansas Business. "It's a quick stop — gas, a couple of items. It's about where they want to shop, when they want to shop."
Walmart's testing of this new convenience concept is in line with the company's announced intention to speed up openings of its small store formats, Walmart Neighborhood Market and Walmart Express. At the time this report was filed, Walmart had not responded to how the Walmart to Go concept varied from its Express format.