Old Vail Road Retail Boom: Costco, Walmart and Sprouts Jobs Coming to Rita Ranch and Vail
TUCSON, AZ — Old Vail Road is turning into the southeast side's main street for shopping, and the Rita Ranch and Vail jobs are following the rooftops. Sprouts opens its newest Tucson store at Houghton and Old Vail on October 30, Costco is planning a warehouse and gas station down the road that's expected to bring about 320 jobs, and Walmart has bought 33 acres nearby for a bigger Supercenter.
One grocery store opening this month, a warehouse club targeted for mid-2027 and a Walmart rebuild after that. Here's what each one means for southeast side job seekers.
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📍 Old Vail Road Retail at a Glance
| Sprouts Farmers Market | 10015 E. Old Vail Rd., near Houghton Road. Opening October 30, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Costco | 9748 E. Old Vail Rd. Warehouse and fuel station on 22.35 acres, with construction targeted to wrap up by mid-summer 2027 |
| Walmart Supercenter | 10052 E. Old Vail Rd., Houghton Town Center. More than 170,000 square feet with a fuel center; construction expected to start in early 2027 |
| Expected jobs | About 320 at Costco; Sprouts staffing up now; no Walmart headcount announced |
| Area | Rita Ranch on Tucson's southeast side, minutes from I-10 and the UA Tech Park |
Sprouts Goes First, on October 30
The first doors to open belong to Sprouts. Its Rita Ranch store at 10015 E. Old Vail Road anchors a new Larsen Baker shopping center at Houghton and Old Vail, and the company's grand-opening schedule lists it for Friday, October 30 (Sprouts notes opening dates can shift). It will be the seventh Sprouts in the Tucson area.
Sprouts held its two-day hiring event for the store in September, which we covered in Sprouts Hiring Event Sept. 15–16. Most of the opening crew is in place by now, but new stores keep posting openings as schedules settle in the first weeks, so it's worth checking the Sprouts search below.
Costco: About 320 Jobs, Targeted for Mid-2027
The bigger jobs story is Costco. City of Tucson planning records show Costco Wholesale combining five lots in the Rita Ranch Commerce Center into a 22.35-acre site at 9748 E. Old Vail Road for a warehouse and fuel station. It would be the fourth Costco in the Tucson area, and the first on the southeast side, where shoppers now drive across town to Grant Road or the Kino area.
KGUN 9 reported in January that Costco told the city it expects to fill 320 full- and part-time jobs paying from about $26,000 to $72,000 a year. In April, the station reported the city's sales tax incentive for the project, capped at $4 million, with another $3.3 million set aside for repaving and upgrades on Old Vail Road between Rita and Houghton roads. A new traffic signal and turn lane are part of the deal. City economic development director Mike Czechowski summed up the approach: "Development pays for development."
Costco is aiming to finish construction by mid-summer 2027. No opening date or hiring schedule has been announced, so don't expect postings this year. We first reported the plans last November.
Walmart Is Building Bigger, Not Adding a Second Store
Walmart paid $6.99 million in July for about 33 acres in Houghton Town Center, according to real estate trade reports, and plans a Supercenter of more than 170,000 square feet with a fuel center at 10052 E. Old Vail Road. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
Here's the part that matters for job seekers: this is a replacement. The same reports say the current Walmart at Houghton and Old Vail stays open until the new store is running, then closes, and its building is expected to be leased to two or three other retailers. Walmart hasn't commented publicly on its plans or on staffing. So this isn't a 300-job new-store opening. Watch instead for construction work in 2027 and, later, hiring at whichever retailers move into the old building.
Why Old Vail Road, and Why Now
Rita Ranch and Vail have been adding homes faster than stores. Lennar, KB Home and DR Horton are all building in the corridor, and Vail Chamber of Commerce CEO Denice Bowls told KGUN 9 that residents have long wanted more businesses close to home, and that a Costco could pull more of them in. KGUN 9 reports more restaurants and retailers lining up behind the big three.
The tradeoff is traffic. Old Vail Road wasn't built for this, which is why the Costco deal puts money into the road itself. For workers, though, the math is simple: a lot of new checkout lanes within a mile of each other, and a real chance to work where you live instead of commuting to midtown.
💰 Which Minimum Wage Applies Out Here
The work address sets the wage floor, not your home address. City records place the Costco site and Houghton Town Center inside Tucson city limits, in Ward 4, so the City of Tucson minimum of $15.45 an hour applies there in 2026. Drive east into Vail or south toward Corona de Tucson, which are unincorporated, and the Arizona minimum of $15.15 applies instead. Our 2026 minimum wage guide explains the difference. Costco's reported range sits well above either floor.
What It Means for Tucson Job Seekers
If you live off Houghton, Rita Road or out toward Vail, this is a two-year run of retail hiring a few minutes from home. Sprouts is the only one hiring now; the Costco and Walmart roles below are anticipated, not posted.
- Grocery, now: cashiers, baggers and stock associates at Sprouts, plus deli and bakery counter work for anyone with food service experience (baker career guide).
- Warehouse club, 2027: Costco warehouses typically staff front-end cashiers, stockers, overnight forklift operators, bakery, deli and meat departments, gas station attendants, pharmacy technicians and tire center technicians.
- Store leadership: new stores need department leads, assistant store managers and store managers.
- Construction, through 2027: two big-box builds and road work mean steady demand for construction laborers, concrete finishers and electricians.
- The shops around them: anchors pull in smaller tenants, which means retail sales associates, line cooks and servers.
More Southeast Side Hiring
Old Vail Road isn't the only southeast side project putting people to work. We covered Project Blue's groundbreaking and its construction jobs in June. For work you can start before the holidays, see who's hiring seasonal workers right now and the Fall 2026 job fairs guide.
🔎 Search Jobs Now
- Sprouts jobs in Tucson
- Costco jobs in Tucson
- Walmart jobs in Tucson
- Grocery jobs in Tucson
- Cashier jobs in Tucson
- Stocker jobs in Tucson
- Forklift jobs in Tucson
- Retail jobs in Tucson
- Construction jobs in Tucson
- Part-time jobs in Tucson
Browse the Retail, Warehouse and Construction guides in the TucsonHIRED Career Center for role-by-role pay and requirements.
Want the Costco posting the day it goes up? Create a free TucsonHIRED account and set job alerts for Costco, Walmart and southeast side retail jobs.
📢 Employers: Opening Near Houghton and Old Vail?
Every new tenant on Old Vail Road will be hiring from the same Rita Ranch and Vail neighborhoods. Post your openings on TucsonHIRED and reach southeast side candidates before the big stores do.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
When does the new Sprouts on Old Vail Road open?
Sprouts lists Friday, October 30, 2026 as the grand opening for its Rita Ranch store at 10015 E. Old Vail Road, near Houghton Road. The company notes opening dates can change.
When will the Costco on Old Vail Road open?
Costco is aiming to finish construction by mid-summer 2027. It has not announced an opening date.
How many jobs will the southeast Tucson Costco bring?
Costco told the City of Tucson it expects about 320 full- and part-time jobs, with pay ranging from about $26,000 to $72,000 a year, according to KGUN 9.
Is Costco hiring for the Old Vail Road store yet?
No openings have been announced. Hiring for a new warehouse usually starts in the months before it opens. Set a TucsonHIRED job alert for Costco to see postings as they appear.
Is Walmart closing its Houghton and Old Vail store?
Real estate reports say the current store stays open until the new Supercenter at 10052 E. Old Vail Road is running, then closes, with its building expected to be leased to two or three other retailers. Walmart has not commented publicly.
What is the minimum wage at the Old Vail Road stores?
The Costco site and Houghton Town Center are inside Tucson city limits, where the minimum wage is $15.45 an hour in 2026. Unincorporated areas such as Vail and Corona de Tucson use the Arizona minimum of $15.15.
Old Vail Road used to be the quiet way out to Vail. By the time the Costco pumps are running in 2027, it'll be one of the busiest work addresses on the southeast side.
