Big crowds continue at new, big Walmart
Large crowds of shoppers watching their pocketbooks are expected to continue to swarm the newest suburban Walmart Supercenter this weekend.
Police have been on hand to assist with traffic patrol since the Mount Prospect store, at Rand and Central roads, opened earlier this week.
"We'll be watching it over the weekend to assist cars on and off Rand Road," said Mount Prospect police spokesman Bill Roscop.
The parking lot has been filled with shoppers wanting to check out the expanded Walmart featuring a larger grocery area, drive-through pharmacy window and eye care center.
"I don't think this shopping center has seen this many cars in a very long time," Roscop said.
He added that there have been some minor fender-benders due to new traffic patterns in the lot and the sheer number of cars.
Back-to-school shoppers, area residents redeeming a $5 off coupon they received in the mail and those curious as to what the megastore looks like have even formed lines at the door this week.
Retail analysts say price is the driving force behind the crowds.
"They like low prices," said analyst George Rosenbaum of Chicago based retail research firm Leo J. Shapiro and Associates Inc.
In addition to saving money, other forces that drive shoppers to a Walmart Supercenter include the desire for a nearby one-stop shopping location.
This trend really kicked in last year when gasoline prices topped $4 a gallon, Rosenbaum said.
"People are not willing to travel as far for bargains," he said.
Time management is another key contributor. With many dual-income families, people no longer have time to go from store to store to shop. And in some cases, shoppers realize that the more stores they visit, the more money they will spend, analysts say. Those on a budget will limit the number of stores they visit.
One-stop shopping is important also to time-strapped shoppers, Rosenbaum says.
Other retailers realize these trends, as well. As with the new Mount Prospect store, many Walmarts and Targets are converting regular stores to the supercenters.
About six months ago, the original Mount Prospect Walmart that dates back to 1991 closed for the expansion. About 6,000 square feet were added to the 102,000-square-foot store in creating the Supercenter.