Walmart's Biggest Location In The US Is So Huge It Occupies 2 Floors

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Walmart is the "everything" store, where you can go in for a few items and come out with a cartful or two. And, if you have trouble keeping your coins in your wallet at a regular-sized store, you may be in trouble if you live in Albany, New York, where Walmart Store 2152 isn't just your average Supercenter. It spans 260,000 square feet across two floors, making it the largest Walmart in the United States. One interesting factor aside from its size is the way that it's constructed, being one of only a few Walmarts built vertically rather than horizontally. The store is cleverly integrated into a hillside, allowing separate entrances on both levels.

Inside, it feels more like a department store than a modern grocery store or supermarket. The lower level is devoted to groceries and daily essentials, while upstairs houses electronics, apparel, home goods, and more. To move shoppers and their carts between floors, there are escalators, elevators, and a special "cartalator" that carries shopping carts alongside a regular escalator. 

The building's two-level structure is the result of evolution rather than original design. When the store opened in 1994, a Sam's Club occupied the lower floor, while a standard Walmart was located on the upper level. When the Sam's Club closed in 2008, Walmart expanded downward into the vacated space. That transformation turned what had been adjacent stores into a unified, towering retail space that employs approximately 360 associates. Due to its bold format and scale, Store 2152 attracts local shoppers and visitors alike, the latter who are curious to see the "mega Walmart" that has also been dubbed "Mallmart."

Vertical expansion in retail is rare for big-box chains like Walmart (which also owns Sam's Club), as they typically spread out across single stories. However, in Albany's case, geography, opportunity, and retail strategy converged to make a two-floor model not only viable but also advantageous. Because the building is built into a hill, access from street level to each floor is feasible, eliminating the need for dramatic elevation changes. 

Not all shopping carts can ride the Cartalator — only those specially designed without a bottom shelf attached. Other components to consider when operating a two-story hypermarket include coordinating stocking schedules across tiers, managing customer flow between levels, and maintaining equipment such as elevators and escalators as part of the retail core. Additionally, signage and wayfinding become more complex, as the split-level format may disorient shoppers unfamiliar with the location.

Utilizing existing square footage below the original store made expansion cheaper and faster than acquiring land or constructing new buildings. That afforded Walmart additional selling space without needing new parcels. After Sam's Club closed (which has some great member perks), Walmart "cut a hole in the floor" to bridge the two levels and converted the combined footprint into a massive store where people could get everything they needed and "ooh" and "aah" in the process.