Wal-Mart adding grocery store to site

Wal-Mart has announced that in early September, the retail juggernaut will open a new 40,000-square-foot grocery store inside its expanded supercenter at 33rd and Iowa streets.

The grocery operation will be the last portion of the store’s expansion project to open. The entire store is growing from 120,000 square feet to 210,000 square feet.

The store’s weekly transactions should increase to 70,000 from its current 35,000, Richard Chappelle, store manager, said in early April. Wal-Mart’s staff will go from its current 310 employees to as many as 425.

With room to sell a full line of food products beyond the chips, cookies and soda that already have been available, Wal-Mart plans to sell pre-packaged meats, fresh vegetables and all the grocery basics.