Love it or hate it, Wal-Mart is making it a lot easier for students and other north Tempe residents to shop at its stores.
The retail giant has purchased property on the northeast corner of Southern Avenue and Rural Road and plans to open a Super Wal-Mart in late 2008.
Wal-Mart purchased the building at 800 East Southern Ave. on April 19. It is now a Mervyns.
"We're always looking for opportunities to serve the community better, so when this opportunity arose it seemed like the right thing to do," said Delia Garcia, Wal-Mart's Phoenix-based spokeswoman.
Wal-Mart officials will begin converting the store when Mervyns' lease expires next May, Garcia said. Company officials expect the store to open in late fall 2008.
The store, about 2 1/2 miles from campus, will be Tempe's second Wal-Mart. The other is located near Priest Drive and Elliott Road, about seven miles from campus.
The discount retailer has 73 stores in Arizona, according to the company's Web site.
At 86,000 square feet, the building will be significantly smaller than most Wal-Mart Supercenters. The average store size is 185,000 square feet.
The site doesn't allow much room for expansion, Garcia said.
Wal-Mart officials jumped at the opportunity anyway because available commercial space is rare in Tempe, Garcia said.
Varat Ngowabunpat, an international student studying business, said he's looking forward to having the discount retailer closer to campus.
"They have everything there, so it's more convenient," he said. "It's big, and there are a lot of things to choose [from]."
Colin Rich, a physics sophomore, said he's excited to have a discount retailer closer to campus, whether it's Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart.
"I don't normally shop at Wal-Mart," he said. "I shop at the closest place."
But Alex Soares, a management freshman, said a new Wal-Mart would have a negative impact on Tempe.
"I think it will bring more people and more confusion," he said. "It will ruin the small stores here."
The discount store does not reflect the values of Tempe residents, said Sara Myklebust, a senior majoring in Spanish and political science.
"Wal-Mart isn't about supporting families," she said. "It's not about supporting communities. It's about making money and consumerism."
Wal-Mart is committed to addressing concerns from neighbors and other Tempe residents, Garcia said.
"We really want to work with the community," she said. "We're going to be a neighbor in the community."
Company officials will canvass the surrounding neighborhoods to pass out information and ask about residents' concerns, she said.
Reach the reporter at: jonathan.cooper@asu.edu.
