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Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Wal-Mart going upscale in Texas store
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, is opening a store in Texas to test whether customers will fill their carts with pricey imported cheeses, vintage wines and trendy clothes along with paper towels and pet food.
The new supercenter in Plano, near Dallas, will carry more upscale items, spokesman Martin Heires said. The store opens today and will feature more space around merchandise displays to make shopping easier.
Wal-Mart is adding new products and revamping stores to catch up with competitors including Target Corp. and Issaquah-based Costco Wholesale Corp. that are winning customers with exclusive brands.
The company is renovating 1,800 U.S. stores during the next 18 months, improving displays of higher-end merchandise such as electronics and home goods and upgrading store bathrooms.
"We're just looking to see what works," spokeswoman Gail Lavielle said of the Plano store. The changes are "based on a lot of research we've done on how do people like to shop and what do we bring them to improve their store experience," she said.
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