Grab ‘n Go is gone

FORT MYERS, Fla. Wal-Mart has eliminated the honor-based payment system known as “Grab ‘n Go” from the fresh departments of its Neighborhood Market stores.

The concept, which turned heads when it was introduced roughly eight years ago at a prototype Neighborhood Market in Rogers, Ark., occupied prime real estate just inside the entrance to stores. Customers could purchase a newspaper, fountain drink, coffee or various pastries and avoid the normal checkout process by depositing money in a box. Although most of the items sold in the “Grab ‘n Go” section offered attractive margins, the sales volume generated by the department were not adequate to justify the high visibility shelf and floor space devoted to it.

The department was replaced by an expanded offering of baked goods at a new Neighborhood Market that opened Wednesday morning in Fort Myers that among 12 total units opened during the past fiscal year. Wal-Mart expects to open 22 Neighborhood Markets next year.