Rumors of a Walmart store opening on the border of Dallas and Richardson have neighbors taking sides and fighting back.
“Since all this has started, I’ve completely boycotted any kind of Walmart shopping,” said Dorothy Wernsman of Dallas, who lives in a neighborhood close to the proposed site, at Coit and Arapaho.
“Why do we need another Walmart? There are already two to three Walmarts within a two to three mile radius,” she added.
“We already have so many other Walmarts in the area, it seems they’re competing against each other.”
For about two weeks, Wernsman has been circulating an online petition through the site Change.org.
By Sunday evening, more than 2,300 people had signed their names in support of her cause.
People supporting the petition are vowing to boycott the store if it opens.
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Wernsman and other opponents argue that the proposed location is a poor choice, saying it will add traffic to residential areas and squeeze out small businesses.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has not officially confirmed its intentions to move into the Far North Dallas location.
However, tenants at the shopping center say they were told about a year ago to prepare to find other locations.
John Marshall, owner of CrossFit Richardson, says his business will be relocating by the end of May 2013.
He sees the shopping center as a great fit for Walmart and adds he’ll likely be a shopper as well.
“I don’t think this is anything new to them, and if done right, I think it will be an asset to the neighborhood,” Marshall said.
Petition supporters admit they’re not focusing on trying to block the store, but to convince the Wal-Mart corporation that the area is a bad fit for their brand.
