# Discount store owned by Walmart?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 8, 2016, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535 "2016-04-08T11:46:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/1 "2016-04-08T11:46:29Z")

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Yes, I know, some people would call Walmart a discount store anyway. But I saw a news article this morning about a potential Walmart expansion that said “Wal-Mart has 25 locations in Maine, including three discount stores and three Sam’s Clubs”. I did not know they had a discount chain. What is it called?

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**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/2 "2016-04-08T11:55:50Z")

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Based on [this list](http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations/united-states#/united-states), I think a “discount store” is a plain old Walmart without groceries.

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**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/3 "2016-04-08T13:00:02Z")

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Are they talking about Wal-marts [Neighborhood Markets](http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-walmarts-neighborhood-markets-2015-7), which are similar to the large stores but in a much smaller footprint? They are designed specifically to counter the growth of small-box discount chains like Dollar General and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar.

I think they’re usually found in more urban areas, though, so not sure they have any in Maine.

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/4 "2016-04-08T13:08:42Z")

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> [@Lord\_Feldon](#):
>
> Based on [this list](http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations/united-states#/united-states), I think a “discount store” is a plain old Walmart without groceries.

[This article](http://247wallst.com/retail/2014/03/22/walmart-now-has-six-types-of-stores/) seems to confirm this:

> [@](#):
>
> The original big-box Walmart store is now called a Discount Store, and the company has been closing these stores or converting them to Supercenters for at least the last 5 years. In 2010, the company had 810 Discount Store; the number has shrunk to 508 in 2014. The average size is 105,000 square feet. The stores typically don’t offer groceries and are open 14 or 15 hours a day every day of the week.

The “Supercenter” is what most of us think of as a standard Walmart - big, open 24/7, sells groceries, etc.

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/5 "2016-04-08T13:18:38Z")

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Back in the mid-90s there was a discount store/classic WalMart without food in Union Park, Orlando that was open 24/7. They did however close it in favor of a SuperCenter a couple blocks down the road.

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/6 "2016-04-08T17:04:33Z")

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And now it’s a bowling alley.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/7 "2016-04-08T17:57:42Z")

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> [@Skammer](#):
>
> Are they talking about Wal-marts [Neighborhood Markets](http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-walmarts-neighborhood-markets-2015-7), which are similar to the large stores but in a much smaller footprint? They are designed specifically to counter the growth of small-box discount chains like Dollar General and Dollar Tree/Family Dollar.
> 
> I think they’re usually found in more urban areas, though, so not sure they have any in Maine.

The Neighborhood Markets are essentially supermarkets; The grocery part of the superstore without the clothing, electronics, hardware, automotive and garden stuff, or at least no more than your average grocery store has in stock. They’re centered around grocery sales, and are more intended to compete with grocery stores in areas that don’t have the land area for a superstore.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/8 "2016-04-08T23:14:25Z")

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This^^ We have some around here.

Picture a Walmart supercenter with nothing \*except \*the groceries, a slightly oversized pet food aisle, & a few more pots & pans than a traditional supermarket. Now shrink it to the foootprint of an average conventional grocery store.

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**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/9 "2016-04-09T00:54:46Z")

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> [@Lord\_Feldon](#):
>
> Based on [this list](http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations/united-states#/united-states), I think a “discount store” is a plain old Walmart without groceries.

That is correct.

Cite: I used to work at Walmart.

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**Author:** ![Thin\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Thin\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Ice)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/10 "2016-04-09T01:39:51Z")

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Walmart has, or used to have, discount stores called Bud’s (named after his son, I think). There were none in my area but Sebring, FL had one some years back that I went to once or twice when I was over there for the races.

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**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discount-store-owned-by-walmart/751535/11 "2016-04-09T02:36:07Z")

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> [@bump](#):
>
> The Neighborhood Markets are essentially supermarkets; The grocery part of the superstore without the clothing, electronics, hardware, automotive and garden stuff, or at least no more than your average grocery store has in stock. They’re centered around grocery sales, and are more intended to compete with grocery stores in areas that don’t have the land area for a superstore.

Yup. There are a few close to me. In fact, I shop at one. There’s a Safeway closer than that, but it’s way more expensive.
