HALFMOON \u2014 Retail giant Walmart is completing a remodel of its Hudson store in Columbia County and expects to soon start updating its Halfmoon store in Saratoga County as part of a multiyear effort to update its stores nationwide.<\/p>\n
The Hudson store upgrades are slated to be completed on May 8. The Halfmoon renovation project, which will begin in the summer, will be completed by the fall, the company says.<\/p>\n
Walmart said in a statement to the Times Union that the upgrades include \u201cexpanding its assortment of healthy foods, affordable on-trend items and enhancing the in-store and online experience\u201d throughout the store.<\/p>\n
A visit by the Times Union to the Halfmoon store earlier this week showed that some of those enhancements may already be underway, with large displays of fruits and vegetables near the entrance to the store, comparable to a Market 32 or a\u00a0Wegmans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Halfmoon store also had fancier items conspicuously displayed, including expensive sewing machines, baby strollers, and even fully assembled furniture, which was\u00a0taking up large portions of the store\u2019s valuable floor space, similar to an IKEA.<\/p>\n
Walmart says it has spent $422 million upgrading its New York stores over the last five months. A total of 650 Walmart stores are being revamped this year across the country.<\/p>\n
Walmart\u2019s efforts to upgrade its customer experience and stores come during a difficult time for retailers across the country as inflation, uncertainty over President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff programs, and rising oil prices amid the war with Iran have squeezed consumers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBy modernizing our stores, we\u2019re making shopping faster, easier, and more convenient, all while empowering our teams to serve customers better and creating local opportunity,\u201d Annie Walker, a senior vice president in the retailer\u2019s East Business Unit,\u00a0which includes New York, said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur stores have long been part of communities across New York, and we\u2019re excited to keep investing in their future,\u201d Walker said.<\/p>\n
Walmart says it has been selling more \u201celevated brands\u201d in its stores, such as De\u2019Longhi, Oura, Jessica Simpson and Lemme. And the assembled furniture displays are designed to make it easier for customers to imagine the furniture in their homes instead of being on the shelf in a box.<\/p>\n
Walmart says it is also starting to sell upscale items like espresso makers, which are a hot luxury item these days.\u00a0Walmart is also updating its stores-within-the-store, including its eyeglass stores, which now offer upgraded brands like Nike, Calvin Klein and DKNY.<\/p>\n