A major new Walmart Supercenter — billed as a “Store of the Future” — has an official opening date in The Villages at: 1115 Waxman Dr, The Villages, FL 32163.
The modern retail giant’s new location at State Road 44 and Morse Boulevard is scheduled to open on March 4, 2026. The store will be a significant addition to the area’s retail landscape and will feature expanded services and technology.
What Makes This Walmart Different
This isn’t just another neighborhood store — Walmart is calling it a “Store of the Future.” Plans and early construction details show the new location will include:
- Nearly 257,000 square feet of retail space.
- 20 gasoline pumps at a large fuel station, which is expected to open a few days earlier on Feb. 25, 2026.
- A 2,904‑square‑foot fenced garden center offering plants and outdoor supplies.
- An expanded product range and new technology features aimed at convenience and enhanced customer experience.
Traffic and Access Considerations
As excitement builds for the Walmart opening, traffic has been a major local concern.
Sumter County agreed to add turn lanes at the busy intersection of SR 44 and Morse Boulevard to help alleviate congestion. However, many residents feel this solution is insufficient and are disappointed that a dedicated multimodal path for golf cart access was not included in the project plan.
What This Means for The Villages
The new Walmart is expected to serve residents across the southern portion of The Villages, complementing the existing Walmart Supercenter on Wedgewood Lane, which serves northern and central neighborhoods. The opening of this larger, tech‑forward store reflects ongoing growth in The Villages community and its retail offerings.
Why Price Still Matters: Florida Shoppers Are Prioritizing Savings
As The Villages prepares for the opening of Walmart’s new “Store of the Future,” pricing remains one of the biggest factors influencing where Floridians choose to shop.
A recent pricing analysis from Consumer Reports, summarized by Food & Wine, found that ALDI’s average grocery basket was approximately 8% lower than Walmart’s, using Walmart as the pricing benchmark. In comparison, Publix’s pricing measured substantially higher — showing a gap of roughly 28.4% compared to ALDI in the same study. Among major national retailers, only warehouse clubs like Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club ranked alongside ALDI for the lowest per-item grocery pricing levels.
(Source: Consumer Reports pricing analysis via Food & Wine )
While Walmart did not top the lowest-cost ranking in that analysis, it continues to serve as a critical price anchor in many markets — particularly in fast-growing Florida communities where residents are increasingly sensitive to grocery inflation and household spending.
What This Means for The Villages
The new 257,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter at 1115 Waxman Drive arrives at a time when:
- Florida residents are navigating higher food costs
- Value-driven grocery shopping is becoming more common
- Discount competitors like ALDI are expanding aggressively across the state
- Warehouse clubs continue to attract bulk-buying households
In communities like The Villages — where many residents live on fixed or retirement incomes — price transparency and everyday value are often just as important as convenience and store experience.
Walmart’s “Store of the Future” model focuses not only on technology and expanded services, but also on maintaining competitive grocery pricing — a key differentiator in a market where shoppers are increasingly comparison shopping across multiple retailers.
