US retail behemoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is set toopen the first in a new line of small-sized stores in the rural towns of Gentry and Prairie Grove in Arkansas, as it tests the water for a concept that focuses on convenient, ready-to-go meals and a wide range of fresh foods.
The new test concept, Walmart Express, uses less than 10 per cent of the floor space of Walmart's regular stores, stocking about 11,000-15,000 items, compared with the 100,000 products stocked at a Walmart Supercentre, MarketWatch reported.
Walmart is planning to open some 15-20 Express stores this year, across a number of rural municipalities in northwest Arkansas and North Carolina, as well as urban markets in Chicago, according to the group's Anthony Hucker.
