Chasing Growth in Urban Markets, Big Boxes Go Small and Speedy

With suburbia saturated, large retailers chase an urban market poised for growth.

1 minute read

July 26, 2012, 2:00 PM PDT

By rachelproctormay


The very symbol of suburbia -- the big box store -- is moving downtown, chasing younger shoppers who are choosing city apartments over leafy lawns. Wal-Mart, Office Depot, and Target are all actively expanding into urban locations and, for the first time, adapting their stores to city living. That means working with tight spaces, such as stocking fewer goods, as well as adapting to the tastes and needs of urban shoppers who want it small, and want it fast.

It also means tweaking their distribution systems, which tend toward the one-size-fits-all approach in suburbia, to reflect the character of their surroundings. In Toronto, for example, many residents of one neighborhood happened to be recent immigrants seeking to upgrade their bathrooms as their primary home improvement, which kept the toilet seats and shower heads in the prototype city Wal-Mart flying off the shelves. Adapting to the urban environment doesn't just help court shoppers; for some retailers, it's a way to fend off the zoning battles that have accompanied previous urban forays.

The move underscores recent recent census data showing growth in urban areas inching above suburban growth for the first time in decades.

Thanks to Rachel Proctor May

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

4 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

6 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

July 6 - InTransition Magazine