Marietta tornado fall out

[Mr. Blue Sky]

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[cinnamonjock]

I know the Dollar Tree Distribution isn't opening back up, Any word or people on the ground on if the Homeland will Rebuild? If they Don't Walmart will likely enter the market which will wreck the local economy

Immediately after the tornado, the owners of that Homeland said they were going to rebuild it. I believe the same people also owned the Dollar General next door that was also destroyed.

Right now, the only retail in Marietta is a liquor store, several dispensaries, an auto parts store, a hardware store, and a family dollar. And that family dollar has been packed since this all happened and has begun carrying a wider selection of groceries too. But if you want to go to an actual grocery store, you have to leave the county and go to Ardmore, Madill, or Gainesville.

[Bill Robertson]

I know the Dollar Tree Distribution isn't opening back up, Any word or people on the ground on if the Homeland will Rebuild? If they Don't Walmart will likely enter the market which will wreck the local economy

Homeland doesn't know yet. It's amazing how slow insurance and such can be sometimes.

[Bunty]

I know the Dollar Tree Distribution isn't opening back up, Any word or people on the ground on if the Homeland will Rebuild? If they Don't Walmart will likely enter the market which will wreck the local economy

Why would Walmart want to locate a new store in Marietta unless you mean their much smaller Neighborhood Market? The super Walmart in Perry, which has close to twice the population of Marietta had to close over 5 years ago.

[scottk]

Why would Walmart want to locate a new store in Marietta unless you mean their much smaller Neighborhood Market? The super Walmart in Perry, which has close to twice the population of Marietta had to close over 5 years ago.

I think you are spot on. Walmart has been, from my perspective, much more cautious about entering smaller communities. They seem much more likely to saturate a metro area with a new store or Neighborhood Market, where there is potential growth. As you mentioned the Perry store, they also closed stores in Okemah, Luther, Prague, Stroud, Wewoka and Watonga, which were a mix of Neighborhood Walmarts and regular stores.

As for Homeland, I think most of their stores in smaller communities are usually the sole full service grocery store and are probably just trying to break even. In this case, it will be nice that the community will have a brand new store, but essentially the customer base will remain the same as the old store, maybe even smaller if people move away looking for work unfortunately.

[cinnamonjock]

That homeland was a pretty worn out building--formerly a winn-dixie--and was never updated or renovated. It also had a reputation for stock being expired or close to it. This led to a rumor that the store was stocked with what didn't sell fast enough at the Ardmore location. A lot of people avoiding shopping there unless they just needed something real quick and just doing their regular grocery shopping in Ardmore. I think a slightly smaller, new building with a smaller variety would help rotate stock faster and keep things fresh.

The only nursing home in the county, right next to homeland, is also closed and all the residents were moved to various other locations nearby. I haven't heard if they're reopening or what the timeline is if they do.