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Wal-Mart Supercenter Opens in Valley: Dinuba Store is Area's First; More Are Planned.

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 May 2006, 15:00 CDT

By Bethany Clough, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

May 3--Shoppers can buy rotisserie chicken, baby carrots and Jim Beam whiskey at the Dinuba Wal-Mart when it opens today as the area's first supercenter.

The store, which opened as a traditional Wal-Mart last summer, added 40,000 square feet of grocery aisles to receive the distinction.

More are on the way: The second central San Joaquin Valley Wal-Mart supercenter is scheduled to open in a new location in Hanford on May 17, and supercenters are in the works for Selma, Tulare and possibly other cities.

A landowner recently said he sold 3.5 acres in Visalia to Wal-Mart for a supercenter.

However, the Dinuba store's debut has some competitors worried in this city of about 18,000, and residents of other cities are fighting the big-box store's arrival.

The expansion at the Dinuba store, on El Monte Way, includes a second entrance, a deli counter, bakery, dairy case and fresh flowers, along with the rest of the grocery aisles.

The store has one side of an aisle devoted to "Latin foods," including dried chiles and Tampico juice drinks.

Signs directing shoppers to ice cream, frozen vegetables and other foods are in English and Spanish. The store's monthly circulars also will be printed in Spanish and English.

"We are a high Hispanic community, and that's why we do that," said manager Bob Eaton.

The store also will carry locally produced foods like Odwalla juices, Raven Barbecue Seasoning and El Monterrey taquitos, made by Ruiz Foods.

Much of the grocery portion of the store opened in phases over the last few days, except for the deli, bakery and produce areas.

Michelle Martinez drove from Orosi to shop at the store for potato chips, milk and other basics. "You can get everything, all in one store," she said.

The store was originally built as a supercenter, with the grocery portion walled off, Eaton said. "It was just something they were experimenting with, trying to get them open a little quicker," he said.

The store is already open 24 hours a day and includes extras like a Tire & Lube Express, McDonald's, pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, and nail and hair salons.

Carolyn Nasalroad of Dinuba said she was shocked to see the store suddenly expanded.

"I see a lot of people getting their hair done. You can get your glasses. ... You literally can live here," she said.

Nasalroad said she was concerned about what would happen to other grocery stores in town upon the supercenter's opening. "That's something I hate to see, but you can't blame people for going where prices are good," she said.

The manager of the nearby Farmers Food Market, on North Alta Avenue, said the supercenter will definitely have an impact on his grocery store.

"They're a tough competitor. They've got a lot to offer. They're just big," Steve Gong said. "We're always worried when a new competitor comes into town."

Gong said business had been slow the last few days, but he didn't know whether that was from the supercenter or other reasons such as the immigration protests. He said Dinuba now has four major grocery stores and a Wal-Mart supercenter: "There's a lot of markets for a small population."

Across the street, La Princesa Market gears itself toward Hispanic customers. "I worry about it, [but] not very," manager Robert Ahmed said.

Eaton, at Wal-Mart, said the store won't take business from retailers selling specialty items.

"We don't carry those items, so we're not hurting them," he said.

Eaton said he's aware some people in Dinuba fear a Wal-Mart supercenter could draw customers from other businesses. "We're not here to take anybody out," he said. "We're here to be a member of the community."

The expansion brought 100 new jobs, most of them full time. About 1,500 people applied for the positions.

The average wage for full-time hourly employees in California is $10.50 an hour, according to the company.

Wal-Marts have other positive effects on communities, said Roderick Scott, senior manager of public affairs.

When residents don't have to drive out of town to shop, they tend to spend more with other merchants in the city, he said.

Such stores also bring tax dollars into the community, and the company collected more than $783.4 million in sales taxes on behalf of the state in 2005.

"The taxes that come into the community usually go up because the taxes go into that community versus other communities," Scott said.

The Dinuba Wal-Mart also donated $20,400 to area schools and organizations as part of its grand opening.

Despite this, other supercenters are facing opposition as they plan to open in the area.

A judge ruled against two groups opposing the Hanford supercenter's construction last year, but they have appealed.

Members of the Save Our Selma Coalition filed a lawsuit last year opposing a Wal-Mart supercenter there. Opponents also filed a lawsuit against the city of Clovis over a proposed Wal-Mart supercenter.

In Fresno, Wal-Mart had filed an application to expand its Kings Canyon Boulevard store, and a city spokesman said last year that Wal-Mart officials were discussing expanding the Herndon Avenue store.

The reporter can be reached at bclough@fresnobee.comor (559) 441-6431.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Fresno Bee, Calif.

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Source: The Fresno Bee

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