--- description: Bigger isn't necessarily better for retailers. title: Watch: Why Big Chain Grocers Are Going Small image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ca31cdb3f2f2b19/69869157e8524b90d560318c/walmart.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Companies](/tag/companies/) ## Companies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Influx of City Dwellers Pushes Big Chain Grocers to Go Small by [TIME Video](/author/time-video/) ## TIME Video Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 29, 2014 6:38 PM CUT  A snow plow is pictured in front of the Walmart on Georgia Ave. as customers exit the store in Washington on February 13, 2014. A snow plow is pictured in front of the Walmart on Georgia Ave. as customers exit the store in Washington on February 13, 2014.Sarah L. Voisin—The Washington Post/Getty Images by [TIME Video](/author/time-video/) ## TIME Video Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 29, 2014 6:38 PM CUT Big-box supermarkets from Walmart to Target to Hy-Vee are taking up the practice of fitting themselves into ever-smaller stores, because they say that’s what their consumers want, especially as more young people gravitate toward cities over the suburbs. As Target’s Executive VP for Property Development put it, the move to smaller spaces with a narrower selection is about “remaining convenient,” at least geographically. Walmart ramped up its expansion of smaller store locations in February and hopes to have up to 300 newer, more compact locations in place by the end of the year. Of course, everything is relative. The average Hy-Vee store is 85,000 square feet, but the new outlets will still contain a deli, pharmacy and a cafe, in a 14,00 square foot space. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/137008/walmart-hy-vee-target-small-stores/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/137008/walmart-hy-vee-target-small-stores/"},"headline":"Influx of City Dwellers Pushes Big Chain Grocers to Go Small","datePublished":"2014-05-29T18:38:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:06:57.191Z","description":"Chains Walmart, Target and Hy-Vee are all shrinking their store's floor space to cram themselves into urban locations","url":"https://time.com/137008/walmart-hy-vee-target-small-stores/","keywords":["Companies","Retail"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ca31cdb3f2f2b19/69869157e8524b90d560318c/walmart.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Video","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-video/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ca31cdb3f2f2b19/69869157e8524b90d560318c/walmart.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Washignton DC Walmart","caption":"Washignton DC Walmart","creditText":"Sarah L. Voisin—The Washington Post/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/companies/","name":"Companies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/137008/walmart-hy-vee-target-small-stores/","name":"Influx of City Dwellers Pushes Big Chain Grocers to Go Small"}}]}] ```