Elk City Supermarkets.

[okiefromsocal]

With a Wal-Mart Super center do to open sometime next year Elk City needs to start considering what will happen to its current supermarkets markets, United and Homeland.

Since both of these markets are owned by the same parent company it is possible that one of them will be shut down as is happening in Weatherford.

Should the Elk City town council try and influence which of these two markets should, if necessary, be closed?

And if so; which one?

My vote would go for Homeland. Not because I have anything against that store but because Homeland sits on its own lot and if closed could be bulldozed without any effect on its neighbors and the lot used for something else. United on the other hand is part of a chain of stores and its closing would effect them all.

I addition, the closing of United along with the closing of the current Wal-Mart store would leave the west end of Elf City an economic wasteland. We would be left with two big empty stores close to Ackley Park and the Museum complex. Not exactly big tourists draw.

Would like to hear your opinion on this.

[billybob]

the city , legally has nothing to do with it

[Curious]

Which one is being closed in Weatherford?

I agree, if one of the supermarkets has to be closed, it should be Homeland. Once the Supercenter opens, people who live on the west side of town will have to drive a lot further to get their stuff, and it wouldn't be a pretty site having a big empty building across from the showpiece of town-the museum.

[cheap]

homeland doubles coupons.. keep it.

[Stoney]

billybob wrote:

the city , legally has nothing to do with it

Legally, the city shouldn't have had anything to do with WalMart either, but they did. Have you thought about whose pockets benefitted from that transaction. The city could have encouraged and helped WalMart stay in the area where they are but they didn't. I hope both Homeland and United will be able to operate where they are. Each of them serve a different part of town. I think this will be up to we citizens. If we choose to drive east and support WalMart then we will probably lose another part of our town. Think about it folks. WalMart put the Fabric stores out of business, then stopped handling fabric. Know who you are shopping with and check prices. If you think WalMart is giving you the cheapest prices, think again!

[Now Come On People]

Stoney wrote:

<quoted text>
Legally, the city shouldn't have had anything to do with WalMart either, but they did. Have you thought about whose pockets benefitted from that transaction. The city could have encouraged and helped WalMart stay in the area where they are but they didn't. I hope both Homeland and United will be able to operate where they are. Each of them serve a different part of town. I think this will be up to we citizens. If we choose to drive east and support WalMart then we will probably lose another part of our town. Think about it folks. WalMart put the Fabric stores out of business, then stopped handling fabric. Know who you are shopping with and check prices. If you think WalMart is giving you the cheapest prices, think again!

AMEN!

[Okie]

Yeah I think Stoney is right on with that one!

[billybob]

Stoney wrote:

<quoted text>
Legally, the city shouldn't have had anything to do with WalMart either, but they did. Have you thought about whose pockets benefitted from that transaction. The city could have encouraged and helped WalMart stay in the area where they are but they didn't. I hope both Homeland and United will be able to operate where they are. Each of them serve a different part of town. I think this will be up to we citizens. If we choose to drive east and support WalMart then we will probably lose another part of our town. Think about it folks. WalMart put the Fabric stores out of business, then stopped handling fabric. Know who you are shopping with and check prices. If you think WalMart is giving you the cheapest prices, think again!

i understand that walmart tried for quite some time to purchase the needed land to build it where they are now but there was 1 holdout on the purchase

[Curious]

I don't always agree with the city and what they do, but I think they did the right thing concerning the new Walmart. Putting a Supercenter near the interstate should help promote Elk City as a bigger retail center, and allow more stores and restaurants to expand around it. Also, if they would've built the new Walmart on top of the old one, we would have been left without a Walmart for a year and it would certainly put United out of business and likely Homeland as well. I think it's for the best that stores will be more "spread out".

[moodymom249]

Yes, by all means lets move all the businesses closer to I-40. Leaving no reason for tourists to have any necessity to come into town...

Hmm??? Whose idea was this?

[okiefromsocal]

I may just have egg on my face. I was told that the Weatherford Homeland was closing shortly before the new Wal-Mart Super center was to open.

Well it isn’t closed yet and shows no sign that it is going to.

But I do wonder what Weatherford was thinking. Have you been to the new Wal-Mart?

I think the only easy way to get there is to be airdropped. I hope they do better with the Elk City one.

[Curious]

okiefromsocal wrote:

I may just have egg on my face. I was told that the Weatherford Homeland was closing shortly before the new Wal-Mart Super center was to open.
Well it isn’t closed yet and shows no sign that it is going to.
But I do wonder what Weatherford was thinking. Have you been to the new Wal-Mart?
I think the only easy way to get there is to be airdropped. I hope they do better with the Elk City one.

That's what I was thinking, but it looks like the new Walmart in Elk City will be easier to get to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/programwitch/359...

[justwondering]

just so you know homeland corp bought out united..so they are both owned by homland......which is why they dont need to compete etc...so who cares if one of them closes they are the same place just running under different names...look it up..i dont think the supermartkets will have any problem though since they are in the middle of town and way easier access for the people that live here..and i think puttin the supercenter on i-40 will be good. if you were a traveler on i-40 and needed to stop or somewhere to shop you would pass up elk city because from i-40 there is nothing here except a few hotels, a few fast food places and stage etc...you have to drive miles into town to even find a walmart and most people dont want to go searching.. i know i wouldnt...so i think it will draw more people in.

[okiefromsocal]

It is official; Homeland Weatherford will be closing Nov 14th.

The parent company of United/Homeland decided that having two markets competing against the new Wal-Mart super center was counter-productive. As I understand it United owned the building it is in while Homeland was leasing theirs so it was easy enough to decide which one to close.

I think we can rest assured United/Homeland will decide to close one or the other of the two markets in Elk City as they are doing in Weatherford. I just hope there is someway to influence United/Homeland as to which one they chose.

A big empty United store just a couple of blocks down from a big empty Wal-Mart store would make the west side of town pretty ratty.

[Taternut]

The walmart in Weatherford is more in the center of town and this is probably why they kept it instead of the Homeland. Thus if this is true the Homeland In Elk City is more in the center of town so it would be the united here that closes up.

[Hmmm]

Because of the location of the Elk City Walmart Supercenter, surely the logical decision would be to close down Homeland, since it will be the closest of the supermarkets to the new Walmart.

I think the only thing we average citizens can do is watch the news closely, and when the time comes when they are deciding which one to close, we need to go to the city meetings, etc. to voice our concerns.

[BETNHI]

Sounds like Elk City is suffering with the growing pains of progress.

[Hmmm]

okiefromsocal wrote:

I addition, the closing of United along with the closing of the current Wal-Mart store would leave the west end of Elf City an economic wasteland.

I agree that Homeland should be the one closed, but if you really think about it, most of Elk City's businesses are located on the western side of town (or at least west of Elk Creek). There really isn't much on the eastern side except for a couple of restaurants and gas stations. Hopefully this new Walmart will allow Elk City to expand eastward.

[Night Stalker]

I just loved the costumes and makeup the Homeland cashiers were wearing on Halloween! So scary!

[Taternut]

Taternut wrote:

The walmart in Weatherford is more in the center of town and this is probably why they kept it instead of the Homeland. Thus if this is true the Homeland In Elk City is more in the center of town so it would be the united here that closes up.

This should have said here: The UNITED in weatherford.......