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Home » News » Business

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Wal-Mart wins over some in Va. town

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  • Business owners on Main Street feared the behemoth Wal-Mart would run them out of business and increase crime. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • Residents gather their carts to go grocery shopping at the Tri-Star local grocery store. Despite residents' loyalty to locally owned stores, sales at Tri-Star fell 8 percent to 10 percent in 2008. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • In 2007, the city completed a $4.5 million renovation of the Main Street district. The street was spruced up and sidewalks were widened to make the corridor more pedestrian friendly, particularly for tourists. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • Residents eat lunch in a local deli. Main Street is lined with mom and pop shops and family-owned restaurants, many of which fly American flags out front and still allow customers to keep a tab. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • A handful of stores have closed since Wal-Mart opened, including Dawson's Ltd. clothing store (pictured). Mannequins remain in the windows of the store, and the building is for sale. Owner Eddie Dawson said Wal-Mart didn't help business, but it wasn't the only reason for the closing. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • Owner George Urban cuts the hair of Frank Delano as Don DeFilippo reads the paper while he waits for his haircut at George's Barbershop on Main Street. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • "Those folks shopping [at neighboring Wal-Marts] in Gloucester or Tappahannock - those folks are now spending their money in the community they live in," said Lara Burleson, who until January was the Kilmarnock town manager. "We probably have gained some folks who were going to those stores." (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • Owner Kathy Lukasewicz pulls her clothing rack inside for the night outside of her clothing shop, Foxy in Kilmarnock. She has owned this store for seven years and said that this year has been the worst for her business, mainly because of the economy. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • From the beginning, Stuart Dunaway, the owner of the local Tri-Star grocery store, felt threatened by the mammoth Wal-Mart. Sales are declining at the store, which is now in competition with the new Wal-Mart. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • Customers get ready to do some shopping at the Wal-Mart in Kilmarnock, Va. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)
  • When the new Wal-Mart opened in Kilmarnock, Va., last year, it was thought that many of the local stores on Main Street (pictured) would be forced to close down. (Katie Falkenberg/The Washington Times)

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By Jennifer Haberkorn

KILMARNOCK, Va. — A decade ago, this tiny Northern Neck coastal town thought it had slain its Goliath.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was rumored to be interested in opening a store in this town of 1,244, one that resembles the 1950s more than modern-day Washington 140 miles north.

Main Street is lined with mom and pop shops and family-owned restaurants, many of which fly American flags out front and still allow customers to keep a tab. People are friendly. Neighbors go around to knock on the back door of the house — never the front — and residents don't have a reason to lock their cars.

Kilmarnock fought back against what it felt would be an impediment to its small-town way of life, one that had only a handful of chain stores.

Business owners feared the behemoth Wal-Mart would run them out of business and increase crime. They bought an expensive economic analysis study that found the community wasn't large enough to support the store.

The developers backed off.

By 2006, the world's largest retailer was drawn back to the town of families, wealthy Northern Virginia retirees and summer tourists. By then, the land had been rezoned, perfect for a big-box retailer like Wal-Mart.

There was nothing town officials could do to legally keep Wal-Mart out. So they embraced it, much to the chagrin of the local business community and the residents that packed the firehouse for a town council meeting.

Photo Gallery

Kilmarnock

gallery photo

KILMARNOCK, Va. A decade ago, this tiny Northern Neck coastal town thought it had slain its Goliath. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was rumored to be interested in opening a store in this town of 1,244, one that resembles the 1950s more than modern-day Washington 140 miles north. Kilmarnock fought back against what it felt would be an impediment to its small-town way of life, one that had only a handful of chain stores. By 2006, the world's largest retailer was drawn back to the town. By then, the land had been rezoned, perfect for a big-box retailer like Wal-Mart. There was nothing town officials could do to legally keep Wal-Mart out.

Kilmarnock, like large cities and small towns throughout the country, debated what kind of impact the world's largest retailer would have: Would it destroy the town's character and business community or help build it up?

The Washington Times set out in 2006 to measure that impact in Kilmarnock, following the town and the development of the 156,622-square-foot store, which has now been open just over a year, to judge what really happens when Wal-Mart comes to town.

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