A big-box store is a physically large retail establishment, usually part of a
chain. The term sometimes also refers, by extension, to the company that
operates the store. The store may sell general dry goods in which case it is a
department store, or may be limited to a particular specialty or may also sell
groceries, in which case some countries use the term hypermarket.
Characteristics Typical architectural characteristics
include the following: Large, free-standing, rectangular,
generally single-floor structure built on a concrete slab. The flat roof and
ceiling trusses are generally made of steel, and the walls are concrete block
clad in metal or masonry siding. The structure typically sits in the
middle of a large, paved parking lot, sometimes referred to as a "sea of
asphalt." It is meant to be accessed by vehicle, rather than by pedestrians.
Floor space several times greater than traditional retailers in the sector,
providing for a large amount of merchandise; in North America, generally
more than 50,000 square feet, sometimes approaching 200,000 square feet, though
varying by sector and market. In countries where space is at a premium,
such as the United Kingdom, the relevant numbers are smaller and stores are more
likely to have two or more floors. Commercially, big-box stores can be
broken down into two categories: general merchandise, and specialty stores which
specialize in goods within a specific range, such as hardware, books, or
electronics respectively. In recent years, many traditional retailers—such
as Tesco and Praktiker—have opened stores in the big-box-store format in an
effort to compete with big-box chains, which are expanding internationally as
their home markets reach maturity. Criticism
= Labor = Labor unions oppose big-box development
because the employees of such stores are usually not unionized. Unions are
especially concerned about the grocery market because stores such as Kmart,
Target, and Walmart now sell groceries. Unions and cities are attempting to use
land use ordinances to restrict these businesses.
= Urban planning = Because it is generally inaccessible to
pedestrians and often can only be reached by motor vehicles, the big-box
store is regarded as unsustainable and a failure of urban planning.
Some communities have adopted a higher level of architectural treatment and
regulations to ensure that the superstores relate better to their
environs and neighbours. Many regulate signage and landscaping.
There are also concerns surrounding traffic and roads. The increased traffic
leads to more air pollution in an area and higher taxes in order to maintain
the roads. Big box stores in various countries
= Australia = The first company in Australia to use
the big-box model was Ikea beginning operation in Australia in 1975. Bunnings
Warehouse followed in 1995 and Mitre 10 Australia adopted the model with the
"Mitre 10 Mega" stores first opening at Beenleigh, Queensland in 2004. Costco
has since expanded across Australia since opening its first store in 2009.
= Canada = Apart from major American big-box stores
such as Walmart Canada, Home Depot and Lowe's, there are many retail chains
operating exclusively in Canada. These include stores such as The Bay/Home
Outfitters, Loblaws/Real Canadian Superstore, Rona, Winners/Homesense,
Canadian Tire/Mark's Work Wearhouse/Sport Chek, Shoppers Drug
Mart, Chapters/Indigo Books and Music, Sobeys, and many others.
The indigenous Loblaw Companies Limited has expanded and multiplied its Real
Canadian Superstore branded outlets to try to fill any genuine big-box market
and fend off the damaging competition that a large Walmart penetration would
inflict on Canadian-based retailers. In the early 21st century, commercial
developers in Canada such as RioCan chose to build big box stores in lieu of
traditional shopping malls. Examples include Deerfoot Meadows, Stonegate
Shopping Centre and Preston Crossing, South Edmonton Common, and Heartland
Town Centre. There are currently more than 300 power
centres, which usually contain multiple big-box stores, located throughout
Canada. = France =
Many configurations exist: the hypermarket that sells many kinds of
goods under one roof, most of which are integrated within a shopping mall; the
supermarket that is a smaller version of a hypermarket; the market located in
city centres; the department store, which first appeared in Paris, then
opened in other parts of the world; the "category killer" superstore that mainly
sells goods in a particular domain; and the warehouse store.
= Hong Kong = To contend against Carrefour, PARKnSHOP
opened the first superstore in 1996 based on the concept of a wet market.
Most superstores in Hong Kong emphasizes one-stop shopping, such as providing car
park services. Today, PARKnSHOP has more than 50 superstores and megastores,
making it the largest superstore network in Hong Kong. The first Wellcome
superstore opened in 2000 and it has only 17 superstores. In addition, CRC
has four superstores in Kong Kong. However, because Hong Kong is a very
densely populated city, the sizes of superstores are considerablely smaller
than those in other countries. Some superstores are running at deficit, such
as Chelsea Heights which therefore has stopped selling fresh fish. Furthermore,
some PARKnSHOP superstores and megastores, such as Fortress World,
belong to the same corporation, Hutchison Whampoa.
= India = India is currently going through a
retail revolution, following the introduction of Big Bazaar in 2001.
However, even before that, large retail stores were not uncommon in India.
Spencer's, a popular hypermart, traces its history as far back as 1863.
Similarly, conglomerates, such as Bharti, Godrej, Reliance, and TATA, have
over the last decade ventured into large format retail chains, though small and
medium enterprises still account for the majority of the daily consumer
transaction needs. An attempt was made to allow
international large format retailers such as Walmart into the country.
However, it was successfully opposed by small retailers citing job elimination
due to increased efficiency and lowered prices due to fewer losses and lower
costs. = Ireland =
In Ireland, large merchandise stores in the style of U.S. superstores were not a
part of the retail sector until recent decades. Dunnes Stores have
traditionally had a supermarket-plus-household-and-clothes
model and now have some large stores. Tesco Ireland now runs upwards of 19
hypermarkets across the country. = New Zealand =
The big-box phenomenon hit New Zealand in the late 1980s, with the introduction
of Kmart Australia and later the "Warehouse" superstore, a local company.
Mitre 10 New Zealand opened their first Mega in 2004 at Hastings, New Zealand
six months before the Australian Mega store; it opened to great success with
20 more stores opening within two years. Australian-owned Bunnings Warehouse
opened its first store in New Zealand in 2006.
= United Kingdom = In the United Kingdom, large
warehouse-style general merchandise stores along the lines of U.S.
superstores are not a traditional part of the retail sector, but this has been
changing in recent years, with the creation of extra-large supermarkets
such as Tesco and Asda selling a broader range of non-food goods, typically in
out-of-town shopping centres or retail parks. As in the US, such large stores
are sometimes called anchor stores. The term "big-box store" is not used in
the UK. "Superstore" is sometimes used, but with a slightly different meaning:
on road signs it means "large supermarket"; in store names it denotes
an outlet larger than that particular chain's usual size.
= United States = In the United States, a superstore is
usually a type of department store, equivalent to the European term
hypermarket. However sometimes it refers to specialist category killer retailers.
Usually associated with large chains such as Target and Walmart, a superstore
sells a wide range of products, such as toys, electronics, clothing, groceries,
furniture, sporting goods, and automotive supplies. These types of
stores advertise "one stop shopping", where customers can stop just once at
their store and buy everything they need or want. Most superstores are located on
a single level, unlike other department stores which are often multi-leveled.
Meijer is generally credited with pioneering the superstore concept in the
United States. The first Meijer Superstore opened in Grand Rapids,
Michigan in 1962. By contrast, Walmart didn't open its first Supercenter until
1988. Superstores should not be confused with
warehouse club stores, such as Sam's Club, Costco, and BJ's Wholesale Club.
While many superstores are as large as some warehouse stores and most are
architecturally similar, they differ commercially. Superstores do not require
the customer to purchase large quantities of items. Warehouse club
stores are still considered "big-box stores".
The term "superstore" is also used for some large specialist retailers, such as
Home Depot, which deals in building supplies. Another example is Best Buy,
which stocks mostly high technology/electronics items, with
occasional home appliances. See also
List of superstores List of hypermarkets
Supplier convergence Types of retail outlets
Nathan P. Morton References
External links Howard, Theresa, "Big-box stores squeeze
into Big Apple," USA Today, October 18, 2004
Big Box Sprawl PDF from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
bigboxreuse.com [2] Site about how big boxes are reused after retailers abandon
them for larger buildings. "Big box retailers versus boutique
shops" by TV3