Jennifer Holder, the retailer's local spokeswoman, hears it often, as do local planning officials.
The rumor? That once Wal-Mart opens its new stores in Arlington and Marysville, it will close its highly successful location on the Tulalip Indian Reservation.
No matter that the store is one of the 10 most successful Wal-Mart locations in the nation, based on sales. Or that it was one of the original anchors for the tribe's Quil Ceda Village retail center along I-5. Or that it is always busy and was expanded into a supercenter just three years ago.
1 comment:
Writerfella here --
Back when Sam Walton still was alive, there was a regular Wal-Mart store that was the most successful location in Oklahoma. And that was a small and cramped unit in Anadarko, Oklahoma. It did so well in a five-county area that Sam Walton himself would come here to Anadarko several times a year to play greeter at the entrance. And he personally would shake hands with all customers entering and thank them for their patronage. writerfella therefore got to meet and shake hands with the man several times. After Sam's death and the progression of the corporation into 'modern' corporate administration, the original store was closed and a new 'supercenter was built. Today, that store operates well but no longer is one of the most successful locations in the area. It has no indoor restaurant, or an automotive center, or a video rental department, and only recently acquired a deli. The true supercenter in Chickasha, some 18 miles to the east of Anadarko, does land-office business 24/7/365, and so now this town likely only is a bump on the corporate horizon. The French phrase about 'the more things change' is not operant in our case...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'
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