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Central Market Could Shift to Smaller Stores

Central Market, H-E-B's gourmet grocery store chain, is looking at smaller spaces for future locations.
Photo by gisele13 http://www.flickr.com/photos/gisele13/
Central Market, H-E-B's gourmet grocery store chain, is looking at smaller spaces for future locations.

Central Market is going to start experimenting with smaller stores, as it struggles to find retail space in prime locations. The H-E-B-owned gourmet grocery store chain is opening a new location in Dallas next year that is 30,000-square feet, about half the size of its existing stores, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

"I would estimate if the right locations were available for a smaller size footprint, I think we could find several more locations in the Metroplex,” Central Market senior vice president Stephen Butt told the newspaper.

The Star-Telegram writes that Central Market executives traveled to New York City and other high density cities to get ideas on how to make the most out of a smaller space.

The first Central Market opened in Austin in 1994. There are now eight locations across Texas.

Meanwhile, those small, half-sized shopping carts at Central Market might find soon their way into H-E-B stores. Spokesperson Leslie Sweets told the Austin American-Statesman that "some people only need a few items and like being able to swing around the store.”

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.