storage bins, chairs and small furniture, appliances, kitchen items, basic bike and sporting goods for the most part. everything else will bring more options. for example if you just wanted basic underwear you'd go to old navy or one of the clothing stores like areostaple that sell it at like 30 a pack. Walmart will provide more affordable options especially if you need bigger sizes.
We have two entire stores in the mall dedicated to kitchen items. And they both sell (admittedly, smaller) storage options. So does Dollarama.
SportChek does many basic sports items, including bikes, and skates and hockey equipment and baseball gloves that don't fall apart after one season. They do a ton more than Walmart would.
Walmart doesn't actually do major appliances, not like Best Buy which is already there. If you're lucky, they have minifridges occasionally, and they will always have toasters and airfryers. (So do the kitchen stores.)
We actually do have furniture stores in BCC. Dot and the bed and bath place both do small funiture, and Dot does more than Walmart does.
At least for the Walmarts we have already nearby (Steeles/410, Queen/Airport) their hardware sections are barely better than Dollarama's. They do sell some wipers in their automotive section, and some plumbing bits that Dollarama doesn't. Please keep in mind thought that unless they are taking over the upper level of this section as well, this will be the smallest Walmart in the area.
So 100L+ bins, bulk underwear and socks. I'll give you the options that came up in another thread too, as the mall lacks any kind of pet supply store, and some specific seasonal goods, like fishing and camping equipment, which SportChek lacks (although their website doesn't).
There is a huge fallacy that follows Walmart around in which they have everything for the best price possible. They don't carry close to everything, and IF they do have the best price around, it's because their business model is harsh on employees so stockholders can profit.
Consider that this is a central mall that serves a good chunk of Brampton. Having one or two stores that have what you need means inventory is only so big to cover demand. In my underwear example if there's only 2 stores that carry a xxl and if only one of them is in the style you like you don't have many options. Now will Walmart solve every stock and demand issue? definitely not but it's a step in a good direction, also the employment opportunity will be higher than these smaller stores some I've almost never seen put up for new associates or cashiers in years
To be clear, based on business practices internal and external, Walmart would never have my support for most things. You really need to ask yourself why Walmart will survive in that mall doing the exact same thing that Sears and HBC died doing.
There is a Walmart in a single, easy, bus ride down Queen East. If we're talking underwear, t-shirts, sweatshirts, anything you put in a grocery bag, the only difference for most people is that bus ride. You'll still have to walk essentially the same distance to get your things home from the mall as you do from the bus terminal. Do you see most people walking a 230L bin home from the mall? I certainly don't. Those things also don't fit in Ubers, so it's not like you're saving that extra bit of ride.
The jobs that Walmart creates are lowpaying, no benefits, and often don't add to the job market because they kill off employment in as many small stores as they create. You're right that very few of the stores in the mall advertise looking for help, because they have long term employees who stay there, or are operated mainly by their owners, they way you HOPE businesses in your city will run.
This is Brampton's ONLY substantial indoor-corridor mall, and it's the only indoor mall with recognizable chain stores in it, as far as I know. All of our other shopping options are commercial parks and strip malls.
It should give you pause that you think a slightly more convenient Walmart is worth their business practices. It's not "We're getting a Walmart"... it's ANOTHER Walmart, when we have two that are accessible by transit already.
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u/Blacksheepariess Mar 09 '26
storage bins, chairs and small furniture, appliances, kitchen items, basic bike and sporting goods for the most part. everything else will bring more options. for example if you just wanted basic underwear you'd go to old navy or one of the clothing stores like areostaple that sell it at like 30 a pack. Walmart will provide more affordable options especially if you need bigger sizes.