Staff writer
After months of speculation, Walmart officially announced it would be opening a Neighborhood Market in Hillsboro, set to open in spring 2015.
The store will feature a grocery, pharmacy, a fueling station, and “select household items,” according to the Walmart press release.
“We feel that this is recognition of the robust business climate that our city offers,” Hillsboro Mayor Delores Dalke said.
The store will also give access to more than one million items via an online service called “Site to Store,” which allows residents to make online purchases that are then delivered to the 12,000 sq. ft. location at 605 Orchard Drive.
Some local business owners have bristled at the idea of what is seen as unwanted competition.
“The community needs to see what local businesses do for the community versus a box store,” Greenhaw Pharmacy owner Eric Driggers said in a previous interview. “The jobs and money stay in the community with small businesses.”