Howdy folks, and welcome back to HHR. Today, we’re taking a look at Sam’s Club Now up in Dallas. Located at 2218 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75206, this store has a notable history and an even more fascinating present. Before we dive into exactly what Sam’s Club Now is, let’s get started with a bit of history. The store originally opened as a Safeway in October 1967, replacing an older, still-standing location that dates back to the 1940s. The new building, now fully occupied by Sam’s Club, was a Marina-style store, featuring a signature barrel roof and glass facade. Over the years, Safeway expanded the building, and a restaurant was eventually built on the left side. The restaurant, which began as Keith Little’s Steakhouse, was a revolving door of options for many years. The restaurant represented Lower Greenville’s shift from a neighborhood with good entertainment options to a nice place to spend a night on the town. During this period, Greenville’s reputation as a liveable neighborhood declined. Young families fled to the suburbs, and younger singles moved in. Safeway maintained its position largely by being the only supermarket in the immediate area. However, when Kroger opened a new superstore blocks away in 1980, Safeway struggled to respond. The market had changed, and Safeway closed in 1985.
At this time, Lower Greenville was at the start of an early wave of redevelopment. The area had been overrun by yuppies, and Bluebonnet Natural Foods Grocery opened in the former Safeway’s space. In 1986, Whole Foods purchased Bluebonnet and rebranded it. Around this time, DFW upstart Blockbuster Video leased the adjacent former restaurant space, leading to a long-term partnership. In 2009, Whole Foods exited the grocery space, and shortly after, Blockbuster left as well (likely related to its bankruptcy). In 2012, redevelopment began to consolidate the spaces into a single location, and Walmart announced it would open a Neighborhood Market here. The location would only be open for a few years before closing as part of the 2016 mass closings. Although it was short-lived, the store struggled with a lack of community support during its operation and ended up vacant for multiple years. Following calls for change from local politicians, in 2018, Walmart announced plans to convert the location into a prototype Sam’s Club, which it operates today. Sam’s Club Now is best described as a hybrid of Sam’s Club and a Walmart Neighborhood Market. The package sizes are typical Sam’s Club, but the product selection is relatively streamlined to “grocery store” options. The store operates without cashiers and requires shoppers to use the Sam’s Club Scan & Go app. The location is currently used as a testbed for technology before it rolls out chain-wide. While the Safeway exterior is long gone, the beautiful arched Marina roof is still visible from inside, and Walmart has done a good job of highlighting the arches. If you’re in the area, I think it’s worth a visit, but to shop, you’ll need a membership.
What a bizarre store concept!