Tag: walmart

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Google Maps Launches Areas of Interest – How Accurate is it in Fresno?

On By jamesinclair

A week or so ago, Google refreshed their maps service. Most of the changes were minor – new road outlines, a different typography, and a few other minor tweaks designed to make the maps easier to understand. However, as part of that update, they introduced what could be a major new feature: areas of interest.

These areas of interest are determined algorithmically, using an
automated process to pick out areas with the most stores, restaurants,
or bars, but Google says it’s also using a “human touch” in high-density
areas — like New York City — to point people to the coolest locations.
The Verge Click to read more!

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Is Walmart changing the way they plan their new stores?

On By jamesinclair

There was a surprising announcement in the Bee today: A new Walmart store in Fresno.

Walmart will open a supercenter in the former Mervyn’s that has sat empty for five years at Blackstone and Ashlan avenues in central Fresno.

The retail giant plans to open the store — which will include clothing, electronics, a full grocery department, but no auto center — this summer. At 107,000 square feet, the store is slightly smaller than a typical Walmart Supercenter, but larger than the average Walmart store.


Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/02/04/3749886/walmart-coming-to-central-fresno.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/02/04/3749886/walmart-coming-to-central-fresno.html#storylink=cpy

It wasn’t so much a surprise that we’re getting yet another Wamart (Fresno sure does love them), but the location was very unexpected; it’s the last place I would have thought a Walmart would open, because it goes counter to what the company is so well known for. Click to read more!

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New Google satellite imagery for Fresno! (Spring 2013)

On By jamesinclair

Some parts of the country, including major cities like Boston, only get updated satellite imagery from Google every 3 or so years.

For Fresno, it’s never more than a year before we get the freshest pictures. The latest update, rolled out last week, shows Fresno and the surrounding area as of March 15, 2013.

The previous update, pushed out November of 2012, featured images from August 26, 2012. I did a photo summary of that as well.

That’s less than 7 months between updates! Older images are still accessible via the history slider in Google Earth. 

These updates are a great way to follow development in the area, and see how fast some areas are still growing. Click to read more!

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Walmart and McDonalds – the Clovis way of life?

On By jamesinclair

Clovis is Fresno’s smaller, richer and more suburban neighbor. It plays a role common in metropolitan areas around the country – the Pasadena to Los Angeles, or the Cambridge to Boston for example. The cities share a common border but the demographics and income levels don’t quite match up.

To differentiate itself, Clovis positions itself as the more traditional and rural alternative to “big city Fresno.”  Downtown Clovis is called “Old Town”, and two decades ago the entire district was re-themed in an old-west motif that works quite well on the single or two-story century-old buildings. Along with the annual rodeo, the farmer’s markets and other activities, Clovis tries to preserve what they tout is their “way of life”. The recent centennial for example was branded as “Celebrating the Clovis Way of Life for 100 Years.” Click to read more!

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A satellite view of what’s new in Fresno

On By jamesinclair

Two weeks ago, Google refreshed their satellite imagery of the Fresno region with pictures taken on August 26, 2012, replacing what was seen on April 25, 2011.

Here’s a brief tour of the more significant changes in that year and a half. Some good, some bad. There’s a good amount of positive changes downtown, but many not so good changes on the urban edge.

I’m providing a link to the map, if you want to explore the area on your own, and also when relevant, a post I may have written on the subject.

NOTE: Google keeps defaulting to the 45 degree view, which is old, from 2010. On the right, hover over the map button and then click 45 to disable that and see the most recent images. On the other hand, this gives you a quick way to compare the changes. Click to read more!

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Athletic store aims for sedentary market – Picture tour of new Dick’s

On By jamesinclair

It’s almost time for Clovis’s newest big box to open up, and that is the sports retailer Dick’s. I decided to take a walk in the area where the giant box has been dropped down, which is just a mile from the historic old town. Fresno and Clovis are packed to the brims with big boxes, and I was looking to see if one built in 2012 is any different from one build in 1980. I was also looking to see if a store which caters to “athletic and outdoor enthusiasts” would design an experience that….well, that actually caters to being athletic and being outdoors. Any marketing professional will tell you that the brand shouldn’t end at the front doors, is that the case here? Click to read more!

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Clovis sprawls north, wonders how to revitalize south

On By jamesinclair

As I mentioned yesterday, Clovis is holding community meetings on ways to revitalize the Shaw corridor. Today, I will discuss the problems facing Shaw. Before attending the meeting, I was baffled about how they’re being held just weeks after development began on a massive new commercial center just two miles north. I wondered if those in charge were failing to draw the connection between approving new development elsewhere and the abandonment of existing retail corridors.

Tomorrow, I will write about the meeting itself, and what the Clovis planners said.

This post will discuss three reasons why Shaw is failing
1) The car-first approach actually hurts stores
2) Lack of pedestrian and bike access
3) Approval of new development elsewhere Click to read more!