By: Ashmar Mandou

Residents in the Back of the Yards, Lakeview, and Little Village communities were all smiles Wednesday morning as Walmart’s “Neighborhood Market” opened its doors to three new locations. “We truly feel with these ‘neighborhood market’ stores we are giving residents what they need at convenient prices,” said Daniel Morales, spokesperson for Walmart.

Employing a total of 350 people, Walmart ‘Neighborhood Market,’ a smaller scale store than their supercenter counterpart, is ready to contend with neighboring food-chain stores by offering low prices, quality produce, and a plethora of services, according to Morales. With a total of eight Walmart locations currently in Chicago, residents, like Lorena Espana, 33, find it convenient to have one in her own neighborhood. “I used to have to travel to Cicero, which took up a lot of my time,” said Espana, who is also an employee at the back of the yards location. “Now, not only do I have a new job here, but it’s much closer to home and has everything I need.”

Convenience and options were just two of many reasons why Morales and his team decided to construct the ‘neighborhood market’ concept in communities like Back of the Yards, Little Village, and Lakeview. “I can’t go into too much detail about the process of selecting certain neighborhoods over others, but what I can tell you is that these stores are meant to provide underserved communities with many options, ranging from Hispanic named brands to health and financial services to our customers.” Among those services is Site-to-Store, a free option for customers who would like to send money orders via internet through www.walmart.com. Customers will also find a sizeable collection of fresh produce alongside a pharmacy for their health needs.

Walmart “Neighborhood Market” stores located at 1424 W. 47th St., in Back of the Yards; 2551 W. Cermak Rd., in Little Village, and 2844 N. Broadway in Lakeview, will operate seven days a week with hours varying from location to location. “We hope customers will see just how much we have to offer and we look forward to growing in these new communities,” said Morales.