Wal-Mart Supercenter

 Walmart, atm / cash machine

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This is the Meadville Wal-Mart, located in Vernon Township ("up on the hill"). This store has almost every item imaginable at low prices. The grocery center here accounts for a large percentage of grocery sales in the town and area. There is also an electronics department, sporting goods, automotive supply department, clothing/shoes, and pharmacy. This Wal Mart has a vision center, along with a Smart Style hair salon, a Marquette Savings Bank branch (which was a National City Bank branch until August 2009), a Subway restaurant, and a We're Rolling pretzel and beverage shop.

The Meadville Wal-Mart arrived in the 1990's on the wave of large, low-priced mega-corporation stores. It was the second in the area, with the nearby K-Mart being the first. The two stores competed for much of the late 90's with Wal-Mart having emerged as the victor.

This Wal-Mart is controversial in the Meadville area since many residents saw it's arrival as unwelcome. There is no question that this store killed off a large amount of small business and economy within the City of Meadville and took it to Vernon Township. This store did provide a large amount of jobs, however. Many residents saw this as another tragic example of a small town destroyed by a Wal-Mart, with revenue going up the corporate chain instead of back into locally owned stores.

Lately, the City of Meadville has been fighting back with it's own new string of small, unique, and locally owned stores downtown. There is no doubt, however, that Wal-Mart will remain the dominant shopping center in the area.