By The North County Times
July 10,2008
Consumers in southeast North County should welcome the recent news that Wal-Mart has taken another step toward expanding one of its stores in Poway into a so-called "Supercenter."
It was no surprise recently when the discount giant officially submitted to Poway planners its proposal to revamp its Community Road store into one featuring an expanded variety of its current wares, plus all the offerings of a conventional grocer.
The Poway site is one of four in San Diego's North County and Riverside's Southwest County targeted for transformation. Plans to expand an existing Wal-Mart in Vista have been approved, and the company has stated it wants to do the same for one of its stores in Oceanside and another in Murrieta.
We have been supportive of Wal-Mart's expansions; the company has proven itself to be a good neighbor and a good civic partner wherever it has opened a location.
Moreover, economic studies continue to show the presence of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in a community results in lower overall prices in that market: truly good news for all consumers, regardless of where they do their shopping.
The company has its detractors, true, and the Poway expansion is getting its fair share of criticism on a variety of issues.
We're confident the Poway concerns about traffic impact on nearby residential and commercial areas, among other issues, will be duly and fairly aired, and if need be, addressed in the days and weeks ahead.
Wal-Mart's evolution from the innovative idea of a lone American to the world's largest retailer was far from accidental; it was because Sam Walton's concepts and values work in the marketplace.
And the winners have consistently included the consumers; we anticipate the same will be true for the Poway region, too.
Wal-Mart has signed a contract to help power hundreds of its stores using wind energy, one of the largest investments in the field by a U.S. retailer..
