Crains is reporting that Walmart is poised to make a big push again to try to get a store open in NYC. Walmart recently hired Mayor Bloomberg's former campaign manager Bradley Tusk to help its efforts, and they are looking at smaller store sizes which would negate the most powerful tool used to keep them out -- City Council zoning regulations. The Crains article mentions the Kingbridge Armory as an interesting backdrop, "Meanwhile, leaders of the city's building trades are still irritated that the retail union engineered the defeat of a proposed mall at the Kingsbridge Armory last year, killing 1,000 construction jobs. With its members facing 30%-plus unemployment rates, the trades have little incentive to join the retail unions in fighting Walmart, which said it will build with union labor. The Building and Construction Trades Council declined comment." Meanwhile. other big box stores such as Costco and Target are thriving here and employing a lot of people. What do you think about the possibility of Walmart coming to NY?
UPDATE: The New York Post reports today that New York City residents spent $165 million at Walmart even though there is not a store in the 5 boroughs. This would seem to contradict a quote by this union official, "Walmart is still not welcome," said Stuart Appelbaum, of the national Retail and Wholesale Workers union." Who is this dude to speak for 8 million New Yorkers?
It's just a matter of time!
ReplyDeletewal mart at the kingsbridge armory? who's going to do the count on how many businesses this will destroy on kingsbridge and fordham roads? and if you don't believe me, just go look at any small town in america. these box stores haver sucked the life... and the soul... out of main street. and the return on jobs has not been anywhere near an equal tradeoff. let's keep this out of the headline and tabloid hyperbole and into the factual analysis this requires.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is - in those small towns, there was often only one place to get things. WalMart came in and created competition, which the businesses were not used to. In NYC, there is already plenty of competition. WalMart will have less of an impact on small business. Look at the area around Target in Kingsbridge/Marble Hill. The small businesses here seem to be doing fine, considering the recession. Also, WalMart's vaunted "low prices" are hit-or-miss. Their main virtue is large selection -- but often, within each product category, they only carry one or two brands or sizes. There will remain many niches for small stores to fill.
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