Walmart in Woodinville? Company Says Not Now

The Walmart company is not interested in Woodinville, squashing rumors that the discount giant was opening a grocery store in the empty QFC in downtown.

The store, 14160 NE Woodinville-Duvall Road (at 178th St), has been sitting vacant since QFC moved out in August 2010. Since then, rumors have circulated that Trader Joe’s, Metropolitan Market, and now Walmart were interested in opening at the location, but all of those companies have said no.

“We are always looking for opportunities to serve our customers better and expand access to the Walmart brand, but we don't have any projects to announce in Woodinville at this time,” said Delia Garcia, media director of Walmart West.

Walmart launched its Neighborhood Markets brand in 1998, now there are 168 discount outlets nationwide. Typically the Walmart grocery stores are 42,000 square feet, but there are cases of the company opening stores with less space. The old QFC in Woodinville Towne Center is about 36,000 square feet.

With the popularity of Top Food & Drug (), Target expanding last year to include groceries, and Albertsons all in downtown already, the grocery market in Woodinville seems to be saturated. That was the reason Metropolitan Market CEO Terry Halverson , but it did consider the site, he added.

The commercial real estate company which manages the site, TRF, which owns or manages four of Woodinville's downtown shopping areas, did not respond to Patch’s inquiry regarding occupancy of the site.

For the moment, it seems, the old QFC will remain empty.