Sam?s Looks at Major Intersection

Sam’s Club, the wholesale club division of Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., has definitely been eyeing the 65-acre parcel near U.S. Highway 412 and Interstate 540 in Springdale that’s owned by the Shaw family. No contract has been signed yet, and the secretive folks at Wal-Mart wouldn’t confirm it if it was.

But we also hear that Sam’s Club has been shopping for a liquor store to purchase in Washington County. Word is the company has entered into a purchase or lease agreement with Wedington Liquor owner Lynn Edens, who has his shop at 3075 Wedington Dr. up for sale.

Edens couldn’t be reached for comment.

Employees at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in Little Rock said in mid-December that they had no record of any liquor store/permit purchase by Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club in Washington County.

They also said several people had called to ask about the same transaction.

The rest of the story goes that Sam’s Club plans to transfer a liquor permit to its future west Springdale location so that it can sell beer and Arkansas wines, which is permissible as long as there isn’t an outcry from local residents.