Retailer worried about Walmart effect
Grocery owner concerned Redwater can’t support DeLaughter’s and Express stores
Texarkana Gazette
REDWATER, Texas—One business owner is concerned about the effect a planned Walmart Express could have on local retailers.
Kyle DeLaughter, owner of DeLaughter’s Grocery stores in Redwater and Maud, Texas, wrote in an email sent Thursday that he wants to continue business in the communities his family has been serving for more than 44 years, but they “are reasonably certain there simply is not enough business to support two full-service grocery stores.”
“We are also deeply concerned about our ability to continue to provide jobs that our 15 employees at this location (Redwater) so greatly depend on, who live in this community, several being full-time employees and having worked with us for many years. It is our intent to continue as is to the best of our ability for the near future, but (we) will be weighing our options over the next few months,” he wrote.
Anne Hatfield, communications
director at Walmart public affairs, wrote in an email sent Thursday that construction on the Walmart Express in Redwater should begin shortly.
“We have no plans to bring an Express store to Maud, Texas. We are, however, happy to announce a 12,000-squarefoot Walmart Express store in nearby Redwater. Construction is scheduled to being this summer, and we look forward to bring affordable, fresh food and select household merchandise by the end of this year or early 2015,” she wrote.
Construction will be along Redwater Boulevard in downtown Redwater.
“We were disappointed and deeply saddened to learn that the rumors of the pending sale of Redwater Industrial Development Corp. property to an undisclosed developer to build a full-service grocery store directly across the street from our business has in fact taken place. Due to confidentiality agreements signed by city and Industrial Development Corp. officials, we only learned for certain a few days ago that developer would be Walmart,” DeLaughter wrote.
Mayor Robert Lorance of Redwater said expanding the city’s tax base helps keep taxes low.
“Nobody wants to pay higher taxes, so the option is to bring commerce into the city,” he said.
Lorance said Redwater’s taxes have not been raised in the four years, since he’s been in office, and city and RIDC officials were excited the new business would bring a pharmacy to Redwater.
Redwater has not had a pharmacy in more than 30 years, and people who live in Redwater, Maud, Simms, Texas, and surrounding areas will be able to get their pharmacy products in Redwater instead of driving to Texarkana, he said.
DeLaughter wrote major corporations such as Walmart are tough competition for small businesses.
“No one can dispute the adverse financial impact Walmart has had on Main Street in small town America. While we want to remain optimistic, we have little reason to believe the outcome in Redwater, or as reported Naples and DeKalb (Texas), will be any different, and in fact are certain to have severe impact on the other two retail businesses—those being Dollar General and the Country Store convenience store, making it very difficult for them to remain viable businesses as well. We can only hope at this point that our store in Maud will only be affected moderately,” DeLaughter wrote.
DeLaughter’s Grocery in Maud also employs about 15 people, he said.
A call to the Redwater Dollar General store was referred to corporate, and a spokeswoman said the company does not comment on the actions of competitors.
A manager with the Country Store, a gas station and convenience store in downtown Redwater, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Walmart Express stores are also planned for Naples and DeKalb, according to reports.
A Walmart fact sheet shows Express grocery stores are typically open from 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m.
The stores also sell health and beauty products, housewares and baby essentials, as well as offer full-service pharmacies and fuel stations, the fact sheet shows.