The former Gold’s Gym, which has sat empty for some time in the far corner of the Lithia Square Plaza in Brandon will become the location of one of only a few Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets now serving the Tampa Bay area.
According to Bandes Construction Company, Inc. Project Manager Jim Dalka, the new 31,000-sq.-ft. grocery type retail market store is slated for completion in late August.
More than three years in the making, the store, located at 901 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., directly across the street from the Osprey Observer offices at 900 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., is promising to bring area residents Wal-Mart pricing along with location, convenience and will anchor the plaza’s current businesses that include three restaurants, a liquor store, a discount gift and home accessory store as well as a full service bead store.
While the exact variety of products to be sold remains to be seen, this neighborhood market is part of a chain of grocery stores as well as a concept launched by Wal-Mart in 1998.
According to a Wal-Mart online store information Website, these stores are designed to be the opposite of vastly larger superstores and are meant to “woo shoppers with easier parking, less crowded aisles and quicker checkout.”
Neighborhood Market stores offer a variety of products including a full line of groceries, such as bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks and liquor, just to name a few.
While expressing some concern about how the new market might affect his business, Top Shelf Liquor Wine & Cigars owner Brij Amin said that he is looking forward to the increased business that the new market will bring to the plaza. “I am overall glad for the extra traffic,” he said.
The Bead Boutique owner Eva Aries was also pleased with the added traffic to the shopping center, as well as the convenience the grocery type market plans to bring.
“I have no worries or concerns about the Wal-Mart market,” she said. “I think it’s a positive for the community and the plaza as it brings in more jobs and revitalizes the neighboring businesses.”
In 2007, such markets generated $4.8 billion USD with plans to the continuation of an aggressive expansion of this division in the next five years.
Based on the structure of its sister stores in the south Tampa area, the Lithia Square Plaza Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market will employ approximately 80-100 employees and offer about 28,000 items.
Visit www.walmartstores.com or visit one of the Bay area stores.
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