Walmart just unveiled a New York-focused website meant to ease the city into accepting the retail giant ("Helping NYC Save Money and Live Better"), a website the Times writes "has more in common with the Internet face of a politician running for office than a retail chain encouraging shoppers to drop by between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m." Does Walmart really need to expend the energy? The city is now littered with big box stores and chain retailers, and nowhere is that more apparent than the Upper West Side's Columbus Square rental/retail megacomplex between 97th and 100th Streets.
In a press release sent out today, commercial brokerage Winick Realty Group announced the search for some "neighborhood tenants" and "local businesses" to fill out the remaining storefronts. The roster of Columbus Square retailers so far? It includes Whole Foods, TJ Maxx, Sephora, Michael's Arts & Crafts, HomeGoods, Duane Reade, Bank of America, Chase Bank, Modell's and Petco. According to the brokers, "This amazing development has brought new life to the Upper West Side and we want community businesses to help complete the equation of life, shopping, convenience and excitement in the area."
Would Walmart really be so different from the rest of the city's big box invasion? Well, none of the others needed their own propaganda arms, at least.
· Walmart New York City [walmartnyc.com via City Room]
· Columbus Square coverage [Curbed]
· Columbus Square coverage [Curbed]
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