Wal-Mart builds Eight New Distribution Centers to Support Rapid Growth

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Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Inc.: Houston, Texas) confirms that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) (Bentonville, Ar.) plans to open approximately 210 new discount stores and supercenters domestically in 2002. Wal-Mart has already opened 147 new stores of a planned 400 in the US this year alone. To support this growth, Wal-Mart will also open eight new and expanded general merchandizing and food distribution centers across the U.S. Industrialinfo.com is tracking planning and construction activities for these centers that will be located mainly in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest Regions.

Most of the distribution centers range from 400,000 square feet (sqft) to 1.4 million sqft and distribute every thing from general merchandise to food and perishable related items. They are in various stages of development ranging from nearing completion to site study phases. The square footage of all the centers totals over 8.1 million sqft and represents over $253 million in construction costs. They are utilizing Design-Build construction strategy for center development that will continue through the summer of 2003.

Lee Scott, president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said, `The planned square footage growth for the coming year represents approximately 40 million square feet of new retail space, which will be the largest square footage increase in the company's history and an 8 percent increase over the fiscal 2001 yearly total.` Wal-Mart will need the new distribution capabilities to support this growth.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) had sales in the fiscal year ending January 30, 2001 of $191 billion. They employ over one million associates worldwide through 3,500 facilities in the United States and more than 1,000 units in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom.