- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of New Times free.
After three years of attempting to give shoppers shoppers a quick place to buy prepared foods, a la Fresh & Easy, the retail giant Walmart is closing all four of its Marketside stores this Friday.
The 16,000-square-foot stores, located in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, and Tempe, offered, along with prepared foods, items like roasted chickens, baked bread, produce, wine, and other groceries.
The Republic reports that the closures "will affect about 90 workers who will be given priority for job openings at other Walmart stores in metro Phoenix."
After abandoning Marketside, the Arkansas-based retailer, Reuter's reports, is now banking on Walmart Express, a small-store concept of general merchandise and groceries launched in June and designed to be placed in locations where its big-box concept won't work.
So far, the Republic reports, no Walmart Express locations are planned for Arizona.
Follow Chow Bella on Facebook and Twitter.
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.