Walmart's New Grocery Store in Orange County (Photos)

Retail giant Wal-Mart became the latest major retailer to test the concept of smaller, neighborhood-oriented markets in California, opening its first neighborhood market in the state in Orange County last week, a store which will have a similar design to the .

The company already has plans to open several more locations in Southern California, including the Altadena location, one in Chinatown, one in Panorama City and a second Orange County location at Rancho Santa Margarita.

The Huntington Beach Neighborhood Market is essentially a grocery store with a pharmacy and is roughly 31,000 square-feet, standard for the Neighborhood Market concept and roughly one-fifth the size of a Walmart Super Center.  The Altadena location, which will be located at 2408 N. Lincoln Avenue, is planned to be about 28,000 square feet.

Walmart representatives have said the Altadena location will be very similar to the Huntington Beach store.

The neighborhood market concept first began in the Midwest in 1998, and there are roughly 200 stores nationwide. However, this is the concept’s first foray into California.

As the latest local competitor, Walmart’s Neighborhood Market adds pressure to traditional grocery stores that have already suffered under incursion from of  Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market and Target. Earlier this year, throughout the region.