Houston: Walmart’s ‘Store of The Future’ Prototype Opens

In Houston, Walmart, the world’s biggest retailer, recently opened the nation’s first “Store of the Future” Supercenter to be built from the ground up in the Houston market.

Houston First in the Nation to Get New Walmart Prototype

The prototype store, located inside the Grand Parkway at 8927 Fry Road in a growing area of Cypress, features a refreshed look, an updated layout with expanded product selection, and innovative technology designed to improve the shopping experience. It is the first new-construction Supercenter to be built in the U.S. in four years and brings 300 jobs to the region.

“This store was built with the customer in mind. It’s part of a larger transformation happening across our stores as we reimagine what shopping looks like for the future. It shows what’s possible when innovation meets intention,” said John Furner, President and CEO, Walmart U.S.

Since introducing Supercenters in 1988 to provide one-stop shopping for groceries and general merchandise under one roof, the concept has grown nearly 3,560 locations nationwide. Walmart says it plans to build or convert 150 stores to the new format over the next several years as it blends the best of digital and physical to make shopping easy and convenient.

The Cypress store, developed in Miramesa Town Center in partnership with Read King Commercial Real Estate, has an attached fulfillment center and uses the latest curbside pickup and delivery technology as Walmart continues to grow e-commerce sales. It is the first Walmart to open in Greater Houston since 2018, as stated by Read King.

Inside, departments such as Fashion, Baby, Home, and Pets have been enhanced and modernized, as stated by Walmart. QR codes throughout the store provide access to additional products and digital tools for shoppers.

Instant Price Increases with Digital Shelf Labels

Digital shelf labels, rather than paper ones, enable employees to update product prices in a matter of minutes rather than days. Customers can use the Walmart app with the store to schedule things like auto services or in-house TV mounting.

Highlights of the new store include a full-service fuel station with 8 pumps, a pharmacy with drive-thru, a vision center with expanded services, a Mother’s Room, and an auto care center.

Walmart plans to build the next Supercenter stores in Frisco and Melissa, Texas; Eagle Mountain, Utah; and Eastvale, Calif. this year, while conversions to full Supercenters are planned in Mountain View, Calif. and East Windsor, N.J. The U.S. Supercenters average 178,000 SF, as stated by Walmart.

Walmart recently opened a new 350-acre headquarters campus in Bentonville, Ark. The new buildings on the campus are built from mass timber. It’s the largest mass timber project in the nation. The company, which employs 2.1 million people worldwide, opened its first store in 1962.