Walmarts on the march

The Walmarts are coming.

In the wake of the Great Recession, Walmart is one major retailer with significant plans for expansion in Tucson.

The company has three new supercenters and two neighborhood markets in the works.

The discount retailer has identified Tucson as an area that's underserved when it comes to affordable shopping options, said Delia Garcia, a Walmart spokeswoman.

"Our goal is to improve access to affordable groceries for Tucson families," Garcia said.

Tucson's big-box retail market has been hit hard by bankruptcies and closures since 2008. National chains such as Mervyn's, Circuit City, Linens 'N Things and Borders book stores have left big spaces in shopping centers.

And as consumers reined in spending, discount retailers like Walmart, along with dollar and second-hand stores, have become increasingly popular.

With its one-stop-shopping model, Walmart fills a niche in the retail market, said Greg Furrier, a commercial broker with Picor Commercial Real Estate Services. In contrast, an electronics retailer like Best Buy, which sells destination products people are willing to drive for, won't have as many stores, Furrier said.

When considering whether Walmart presents a threat to other grocers, consumers don't generally change their habits unless they can save a decent amount of money, Furrier said. So more expensive grocers tend to be more vulnerable when a Walmart moves in nearby, he said.

The consumer market has recently shifted toward discount retailers - spurring the expansion of Walmart - but Furrier said there's no way to know for sure how long that trend will last.

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Walmarts on the march