With the announcement that Wal-Mart will open at Chicago's Loop Presidential Towers, right on the heels of last week’s news that Target will open on State Street in Chicago's Loop, the growing number of  people living in downtown Chicago are going to find running out for last-minute grocery items a whole lot easier in the near future. 

Wal-Mart plans to open a small-scale version of its megastores, a concept Wal-Mart call “Neighborhood Markets.” The store at Presidential Towers, an apartment complex located at 555 W. Madison, will occupy 26,491 square feet on the ground level. It’s the first store of its kind for Wal-Mart in the greater Chicago. 
Wal-Mart will offer affordable prices on fresh produce, dairy, frozen foods, beauty supplies. There will also be  a pharmacy on the premises.
No doubt there is a need for both major discount retailers in downtown Chicago, and their competition can only benefit consumers. According to 2010, the number of people living in the Loop alone increased 76% in the years 2000 to 2010.

The entire landscape of downtown Chicago has changed during the past decade. Newloft, high-rise condominium buildings and townhomes, the convenience of the location, and a lively restaurant and entertainment scene have drawn new residents to Loop and the surrounding downtown area.