Wal-Mart Eyes 1st N.J. Neighborhood Market

HAWTHORNE, N.J. — Wal-Mart Stores is planning what could be its first Neighborhood Market store in New Jersey here in this middle class suburban town about 16 miles from New York City, according to local reports.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based company has signed a lease for a 42,000-square-foot store at 204 Wagaraw Road, NorthJersey.com reported. The location, which would include additional retail space, is located near the border with neighboring Paterson. A Food Basics and a Pathmark, both owned by A&P, are the closest major supermarkets to the site.

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The Neighborhood Market format is Wal-Mart’s traditional supermarket concept, which the company is rolling out more rapidly this year, particularly in densely populated urban and suburban markets. The Hawthorne location would include a drive-through pharmacy, the report said.

Some local residents, including a group calling itself Hawthorne Deserves Better, have sued to stop the development, citing local ordinances concerning shopping centers. On the group's website, it also cites concerns about the store’s potential impact on the town’s main shopping district about half a mile away, the potential of the store to lower nearby property values, and other concerns.