Harps Food buys three former Wal-Mart stores

New York / Tribune News Service

Anne Hatfield, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, didn’t immediately respond to a Globe phone call and email messages. The Express stores that were closed were much smaller than what Wal-Mart calls a supercenter. The Express stores were 12,000-15,000 square feet compared with 180,000 square feet sported by the big stores.
Noel Mayor John Lafley said Harps already has a grocery store in the McDonald County town. He said the competition from Wal-Mart had been good for residents.
“When Wal-Mart was here, they (Harps) came down on some of their prices because they weren’t the only store in town,” Lafley said.
Van Hoose said Harps intends to stay in its current location in Noel. He wouldn’t discuss what plans Harps has for the store it bought from Wal-Mart but noted that the purchase includes grocery store equipment that can be used in other stores. Wal-Mart’s closing cost Noel about $30,000 in sales tax revenue, Lafley said.
“We had already made our budget out before Wal-Mart announced they were closing,” Lafley said. “We had to redo our budget. It was not a happy time.”
Chester Neel, an alderman in Anderson, said the city has a well-liked grocery, Town & Country Supermarket, but that having a Harps there will be a benefit.
“I think it’s a good thing for us,” Neel said.