Walmart unveils fresh format

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Residents in the area surrounding downtown Bentonville have a new Walmart Neighborhood Market to call their own. The 31,000-sq.-ft. store, about 10,000 to 15,000 sq. ft. smaller than the typical Neighborhood Market, puts a major emphasis on fresh.



Shoppers entering the store are met with a powerful fresh presentation with tables of produce positioned in front of a 64-ft. refrigerated display topped by the words “fresh produce.” Only 4 ft. of the produce section was dedicated to a basic offering of organic products. Elsewhere in the store, purple shelf talkers were used to call out organic offerings in the baby section and cereal aisle.



Adjacent to produce, and positioned near the entrance, is a streamlined deli department that includes a made-to-order pizza service. To encourage customers to linger, several high-top tables are adjacent to the deli, and outside the store there is a wide pedestrian walkway with additional tables and seating.