Boulder-flavored Walmart opens

BOULDER — A Walmart in Boulder? Who would have thought? But it came true in 2013.

Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) had long tried to gain a foothold in Boulder, including a 2002 attempt to build a Supercenter at what was then Crossroads Mall. However, the company faced a protracted campaign from anti-Walmart advocates, including the Boulder Independent Business Alliance. The effect on local businesses as well as Walmart’s business practices were cited by opponents as causes for concern.

But finally, after months of planning under the radar, Wal-Mart announced in February that it would open a “Walmart Neighborhood Market” by fall in the Diagonal Plaza at 3303 30th St. The 53,000-square-foot store would be about half the size of the Walmart Supercenters the company has built in recent years in Broomfield, Lafayette and Longmont, one of 220 such downsized markets across the nation.

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When the store opened on Oct. 2, customers discovered a decidedly Boulder flavor to the store, with a larger gluten-free section than at other Walmarts, plus organic and bulk-food sections. “Our nearby stores have offered a glimpse into what our customers who live in Boulder are looking for, and we’ve done our best to further tailor the store to Boulder,” Ashley DeKraai, a Walmart spokeswoman, said in an email.

Suppliers and Walmart store employees heavily outnumbered shoppers in the first hour the store was open, and about 10 protesters scheduled an “unwelcome party” at the store later in the morning.

A female shopper who declined to give her name noted, “People forget that this was an Albertson’s.”

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