Wal-Mart launched a Web site, marketside.com, for four Marketside stores the company plans to open in Arizona this fall, The Arizona Republic reports.

Arizona will be the testing ground for Wal-Mart's national experiment with convenience-store-size groceries.

Analysts believe that Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is testing the concept as a challenge to Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets, which the British retailer Tesco PLC -- the world's No. 3 -- opened in December.

Fresh & Easy has 19 stores in the Valley, and 18 more are planned.

Although Wal-Mart has not said much about plans for Marketside, the company began taking online applications for managers last month.

The 10,000- to 15,000-square-foot stores will open in Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa and "carry everyday favorites, fresh ingredients and a wide selection of affordable meal solutions," Wal-Mart corporate-communications director Amy Wyatt-Moore said in a statement.

Marketside.com shows images of a chicken pita sandwich and meatloaf slices.

The site does not have information about opening dates, pricing or specific items that will be for sale.

"In the context of Wal-Mart's 4,200 stores in the U.S., this is a very small-scale pilot," Wyatt-Moore said.

Wal-Mart already sells groceries at its Supercenters, its warehouse subsidiary Sam's Club and more than 130 Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets.