Wal-Mart plans aggressive expansion

Within its next fiscal year, Wal-Mart Stores plans to open 45 to 55 new discount stores and 200 to 210 new Supercenters. Supercenter growth will involve relocation or expansion of 140 existing discount stores plus new construction for the remaining 60 to 70. The company says that 85% to 90% of the new stores will open before the end of the third quarter. In addition to new Supercenters, Wal-Mart will open 20 to 25 new Neighborhood Markets in its next fiscal year, and Sam’s Club will increase by 40 to 45 locations. The Sam’s expansion will involve relocation or expansion of existing stores in about two-thirds of the program. In its international markets, Wal-Mart plans 120 to 130 new stores. In total, the company will add 48 million sq ft of sales space. To support the new stores, the company will build three new regional general merchandise distribution centers and six new food distribution centers. The nine new warehouses will contain roughly 8.7 million sq ft of storage and distribution space.