South End Walmart: A Done Deal

For everyone looking forward to a second Walmart coming to Guelph - good news! - the project has taken one major step closer to becoming a reality.

According to my source, the company has closed the deal to take over the former Target (and former Zellers) property on Stone Road, one of 13 former Target locations nationwide to be coveted by Wal-Mart for Canadian expansion. Walmart has already begun the process of looking internally for a manager for the new store, and they're looking to start renovations immediately with an eye on opening in time for the Christmas shopping season, if not sooner. Depending on how fast Walmart can pull everything together, the new store may even be open in October or November.

No official release has been made yet, so perhaps legally speaking not all the stars have aligned. The old store is owned by Target, and ownership has to be worked out in bankruptcy court with Target's creditors. The actual land that the store sits on belongs to the University of Guelph though, and they were enthusiastic about the Walmart takeover when it was announced last month. Even if approval's been worked out with one and not the other, Walmart is proceeding like its a done deal, so prepare to see that Target red turn Walmart blue in the near future.

As to when Best Buy will get rid of all that Future Shop signage....