Seattle Times business reporter Big-box retail giant Walmart, long despised by Main Street small businesses for luring their customers to the superstore on the edge of town, is now attempting to bring town-center amenities to its sprawling parking lots in two Washington locations and elsewhere. Retail giant Walmart plans to create pedestrian communal spaces around large edge - of - town Walmarts in Washington , DC and other locations . Walmart imagines a community of stores offering food , fitness , and transportation to name a few , transforming locations into “ destinations ” . The plan comes in light of increasing retail consumption moving online , and seeks to give consumers a reason to go out and visit stores . Ideas are currently at preliminary stages , and no steps have been taken to create expansive permits yet .
Retail giant Walmart plans to create pedestrian communal spaces around large edge - of - town Walmarts in Washington , DC and other locations . Walmart imagines a community of stores offering food , fitness , and transportation to name a few , transforming locations into “ destinations ” . The plan comes in light of increasing retail consumption moving online , and seeks to give consumers a reason to go out and visit stores . Ideas are currently at preliminary stages , and no steps have been taken to create expansive permits yet .