Wayfair to open store in former Walmart on Howell Mill Road

Driving the news: Wayfair said it will open its "sprawling" 150,000-square-foot store next year at The District at Howell Mill (1801 Howell Mill Road NW).

• The shopping center has been without an anchor tenant since Walmart's departure in 2022.

Zoom in: Liza Lefkowski, Wayfair's vice president of merchandising and stores, told Axios in a statement the store will have 19 departments, including furniture, decor, home improvement and outdoor living.

• Like the Wilmette store, the Atlanta location will also include a restaurant called The Porch, which will serve salads, soups, small meals and handheld goodies.
• Customers will be able to take home many purchases the same day, but Lefkowski said certain larger items, like couches, will ship from Wayfair's nearby fulfillment center in McDonough.

What they're saying: Lefkowski told Axios that though Wayfair is primarily an online business, the company understands some people would prefer to shop at a physical store.

• "Our retail expansion is all about creating a seamless shopping journey — whether customers prefer to browse online, shop in-store or combine both for the best of both worlds," she said.

Flashback: Walmart announced in December 2022 it would closed its supercenters on Howell Mill Road and in the Vine City community after fires were set inside both places.

• While Walmart refashioned the Vine City location into a Neighborhood Market and reopened it last year, the Howell Mill store closure was permanent.