What Are Some Differences Between a Wal-Mart Superstore and a Regular Wal-Mart?
The primary differences between Walmart Supercenters and the standard Walmart store are that Supercenters are larger and offer full-service supermarkets along with merchandise. Walmart now refers to its older stores as Walmart Discount locations and has begun closing or converting many to Supercenters.
Walmart’s Supercenters are referred to as hypermarkets by some due to Walmart’s Hypermart USA stores, which preceded the Supercenter’s introduction in 1988. The core concept of hypermarkets involves combining a grocery-based supermarket with departments selling electronics, clothing and other consumer goods. Supercenters also often incorporate restaurants, medical care providers and banking outlets in the same building. In contrast, Walmart locations designed before the Supercenter primarily focused on merchandise. While these stores often offer some groceries, they rarely incorporate a deli, butcher shop or additional shops as Supercenters do.
Walmart has been closing or converting Walmart Discount locations into Supercenters for several years, with Supercenters now outnumbering the older Walmarts substantially. Approximately 3,400 Supercenters are located in the United States, with only 471 Walmart Discount locations. Walmart is also pursuing a strategy of opening smaller Walmart Neighborhood Markets in many locations. Also known as Walmart Express locations, these markets are often a quarter of the size of typical Supercenters and focus primarily on grocery sales.
