October 07, 2003The World of Wal-MartThe World of Wal-Mart | NACS Daily The World of Wal-Mart BENTONVILLE, AR -- A trip to a Wal-Mart Supercenter may also mean a visit to McDonald's, the bank, the eye doctor, Krispy Kreme, the nail salon and H&R Block. Diversity it seems is a key part of Wal-Mart's strategy for success. "It adds variety. We're looking to make the shopping experience exciting and fun," Wal-Mart spokesperson Tom Williams told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. NACS Daily previously reported that Wal-Mart is partnering with Krispy Kreme and H&R Block on in-store operations. Wal-Mart has said it plans to open 230 new Supercenters in the United States in 2004, or about 50 million square feet of retail space--equal to that of approximately 36 shopping malls. The possibility of reaching some 138 million shoppers each week has made many retailers eager to set up shop within the walls of a Wal-Mart Supercenter, say analysts. "Where else would you want to be? There's more traffic and more people spending money than anywhere else," said Jack Plunkett, president of retail research firm Plunkett Research. "It has gotten to the point where Wal-Mart could literally make you or break you." A company such as Krispy Kreme, which is already a hot commodity, may not seem to need the added sales oomph of Wal-Mart's Supercenter, but the doughnut maker said it is hoping the partnership will expand its appeal even further. "There is a lot of opportunity. We want to see how it works," Krispy Kreme Senior Vice President of Marketing Stan Parker told the Journal-Constitution. "This is a period of learning for us." If the Supercenter-based Krispy Kreme stores do well, the partnership may grow to include Wal-Mart's Neighborhood Market concept. The Journal-Constitution compiled a list of chains that have operations inside Wal-Mart: McDonald's Concepts in the testing phase: * Krispy Kreme stores will open in five locations this month |