Cannibal Corpse: Why They Tore Down the Whirly Ball And Put in a Sam's (And a Walmart)

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Oct. 17 2011 at 4:00 PM

In my day, this was also the site of the best Sound Warehouse in town. In my day.

Over the weekend I espied the deconstruction site you see here, across from Bachman Lake at Northwest Highway and Marsh. The new Sam's right there took me by surprise -- so too did the disappearance of the landmark Whirly Ball, which I knew was coming ... but, still. It's never easy to lose an old friend. Anyway. The site, where Al's Pizzeria used to slice it up, is being prepped for that Walmart, one of many coming to a neighborhood near you. And this one's right next to a Target too.

Still not sure if Lower Greenville's getting one -- Mitchell Rasansky last said to bug him come Friday, so we'll wait for that. (Though I have recently heard rumors of a restaurant taking the space ...) But I did see that last week, Walmart execs explained in Supermarket News why it's taking over Dallas.

Bill Simon, president and chief executive officer for U.S. stores, said the company plans to open new stores in areas in which it already has medium to high market-shares, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Baton Rouge and Dallas-Fort Worth.

"The choice is to cannibalize ourselves or get eaten up by someone else, and we've determined we need to build a competitive number of stores in some of our strong markets to retain our share," Simon said.

As an example he cited the Dallas-Fort Worth market, "[where] we had a great market share, but when we slowed growth to avoid self-cannibalization, the competition grew by 300 openings."

The company said its capital spending budget in each of the next two years will be $13 billion to $14 billion, compared with $12.7 billion in fiscal 2011.

Read the whole thing here.

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Rooster

Loved me some Al's, but the strip shop they were in was a real shithole. I hear they're moving into a spot across the parking lot.

pizzapooper

That's what they told me last time we were in, but the spot they pointed out is gone too!

Rooster

Booooooooooooo. Loved me some Al's.

Louise

Actually no, the Sound Warehouse was across the street on the other side of Webbs Chapel. But it was the best! A Dixie House and a Cowboy Chicken, long gone and turned into tortilla shops, were also bulldozed.

guest

That makes the 4th Sam's on Northwest highway! I hate Walmart. I guess that has been their strategy in all of small town America ..... take away the market share of Mom and Pop stores. Reading this makes me sick.

Louise

Well, the one out near the border of Dallas and Irving has closed, so it's only three.

Mike

How many Mom & Pop stores are on NW Highway threatened with ruin? That horse left the bar decades ago.

guest worker

Self-cannibalization; i.e. leaving behind giant empty hulls that no other business can use, a la Hypermart/Super Walmart at Garland and Kingsley. Big F.U. to Walmart, as far as I'm concerned.

scottindallas

so Walmart is admitting to seeking to exercise anti-competitive business practices, being that the up-shot of their plan is to no doubt drive their competitors out of business and then shutter their excess stores.

Mike

Since Wal-Mart has been doing the low price gig for 50+ years, when does the second part of the conspiracy occur when they jack up the prices? Or do they have to drive everybody else out of business before they can bring their evil plan to conclusion?

scottindallas

they aren't the lowest price anymore.

Dallasite78

"Anti-competitive business practices" would be several retailers secretly colluding on prices and carving up market territory among themselves. Say Wal-Mart and Target agreeing not to sell socks for less than $8/pair.

A company building stores in an area to grab a bigger market share is pretty much the exact opposite of "anti-competitive business practices".

Didn't realize they had free wi-fi down at the occupy dallas encampment...

scottindallas

actually, it is anti-competitive, Microsoft was successfully sued in a similar situation. I don't like Wal-mart, but I don't hate them either. I would if there wasn't other alternatives. And, I'm not down there, but you might do more study of real news yourself. These are considered unethical business practices, I believe there is a gov't agency that is tasked with preventing these sorts of business practices. These type actions have been enjoined by the USG in the past, though I am aware they are considered quaint now. It's a bit disturbing to hear so frequently discussions in business schools often resolve that some in fact illegal and unethical business practice is voted as the best without at least some commentary by the professor that those practices may well be illegal, even if that is seen as quaint today.

Guest

I drove by this area and was shocked by the change - all for the better. It is really great to see so much money being invested in this area that really needed help.

I'd say I'll miss Al's, but the truth is I haven't visited in years.

Now, if only the City of D could tear down the abandoned, graffiti covered Library on Marsh Lane....

Montemalone

Best Sound Warehouse would have to be either Greenville Ave or Preston/LBJ, circa 1978-1985

thufir_hawat

Take me back to Peaches Records and Tapes on Fitzhugh and Cole. Ah, good ol' day syndrome. I think I still have a crate full of albums.

Robert Wilonsky

I loved the Valley View Sound Warehouse, truly. That's where I bought Adam & the Ants' import of Dirk Wears White Sox, and the Mexican version of Complete Madness that had the Spanish liner notes. I had many friends who worked there. But the NW Dallas Sound Warehouse was awesome because it was also less picked-over.

G_David

He puts his white sox on one foot at a time. But once his sox are on, he goes out and wins NBA championships.

phe_75034

Wasn't the one up north more like Preston/Belt Line?

I used to ride my bike from west Richardson, braving the shoulder of Belt Line and the barely controlled intersection at Preston, all in an effort to pick up Buddy magazine.

Montemalone

It was right there on the NE corner of LBJ and Preston. I think the original building is gone, but it was typical 70s with wood shingles. The inside of the store was multi-level and huge. Great import section, too.

scottindallas

You're both right, can we please stop fighting.

ChrisU

yes there was also a Sound Warehouse on that norhwest corner of Preston and Beltline, where the western clothing place is(or was). almost forgotten about that one.

phe_75034

Wonder what I'm thinking of, then? There was definitely something at Belt Line and Preston. I think in later years it turned into Sound Warehouse and then became Western Warehouse or somesuch. It must have started life in the late 70s or early 80s as something else.

US175guy

All the stuff that was on that NE corner got torn down prior to 2001, when the Walgreens and Rooms-to-go came in. The only survivor of that corner was a gas station, which has since closed and is another frickin title-loan place. Even the old Terra Cotta Inn closed, was torn down, now the site is a new Holiday Inn Express.