Last Updated: August 15, 2011 09:25am ET

4 comments

Is Wal-Mart Getting All Steve & Barry's?

By Ian Ritter
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Wal-Mart is taking on a merchandising effort that seems a lot like another retailer making headlines lately - Steve & Barry's. Wal-Mart is converting more than 1,700 of its Garden Centers into a new concept called Game Time Headquarters. The company is saying that this part of the store will be geared toward tailgaiting football fans. The retailer will mostly offer deep discounts on food for the events, but it is also selling NCAA and NFL caps for $5 and T-shirts for $6. Is this a way for the retail giant to capitalize on the strategy that Steve & Barry's banked on? Or is this connection a stretch?

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Posted by comment_user_450180

This is not unusual for Wal Mart. Years ago in New Orleans Mr. Glass told the audience that Wal Mart will ask their mgrs. to ID successuful businesses in the area and duplicate. The giant keeps walking.

August 29, 2008 at 09:35 AM EDT #
Posted by comment_user_450273

Smart play by Wal-Mart. I would think they have a substantial share of this "tail-gate" audience already. Turning the Garden Centers into a "sports center" makes sense -- garden sales I believe traditionally go into a doldrum in the Fall, Wal-Mart is plugging the space up with a customer-pleaser in the football niche, and come end of October, early November, they can tinker and turn it into a Christmas-y gifts, trim-a-tree kind of thing with a sports motif. Bentonville Rules! Wal-Mart cash outlay nominal, and they're cashing in on what they already have -- customers and floor space.

August 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM EDT #
Posted by comment_user_450060

Interesting analogy, but it's a very different model.
Seasonal usage of any retail space makes sense, for t shirts and caps. Have to question the choice of food in the garden space?
The lingering aroma of insecticides, fertilizer and fungicides does not mix well with hot dogs, chips and salsa.
Anxious to see the roll out.

September 02, 2008 at 08:10 AM EDT #
Posted by comment_user_450274

Walmart bites. They hate the little guy and not only that they involve themselves in stuff like telling people they can't unionize. FIGHT THE POWER! FIGHT THE POWER THAT BE! AND ONE MORE THING! WALMART HAS TO START HAVING T-SHIRT CONTESTS FOR DUDES AND COWS! Froggy

September 03, 2008 at 09:19 PM EDT #

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