New store offers increased selections and value to community
FLINT, Mich., April 9, 2008 – Flint Township residents will notice more than increased selections and services when the newly expanded Wal-Mart Supercenter, at 4313 Corunna Road, opens as at 8 a.m., Wednesday, April 9. Bringing the community a one-stop shopping destination and offering a full-line of groceries, the new store will also minimize its environmental impact.
“We save people money, so they can live better,” said Store Manager Brian Greenlees. “Today customers want both value and convenient shopping and our expansion brings both to Flint Township.”
Supercenter Expands Selection and Services
The new Flint Supercenter will have 88,015 additional square feet than the previous store, providing new products and services to customers.
Customers can select from a full-grocery department offering a bakery, a delicatessen, frozen food, meat, dairy, fresh produce, organics and beer and wine sales. General merchandise departments include apparel, accessories and fine jewelry, an expanded lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and a full line of electronics showcasing the latest in computers, digital media players and high-definition televisions.
Other store features include a Tire & Lube Express, a one-hour photo lab, a vision center, a pharmacy and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales. Leased areas include a Subway restaurant and a SmartStyle Family Hair Salon.
The new Supercenter will have a Wal-Mart MoneyCenter to assist customers who are outside of mainstream banking with convenient access to low-cost money services, including check cashing, money orders, bill payment and money transfers. With Wal-Mart’s every day low pricing, customers can save 25 to 50 percent or more over other leading money service providers. Customers can also get a Wal-Mart Money Card, which is a prepaid reloadable Visa card that provides many of the features and conveniences of a checking account and credit card without a credit check or the need for a bank account.
“For many of our customers, these services are the only means of conducting everyday transactions,” said Greenlees. “We can give them convenient and affordable access to these services, which is often the first step towards meeting their financial goals.”
Environmental Features Incorporated In Store Design
The new additions to the store were constructed with the latest in energy efficient technology. The freezer cases and non-sales areas of the store have LED lights and sensors that automatically shut off the lights when those areas are unoccupied or customers are not present. LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently that traditional fluorescent lighting. Water flow is regulated in the store’s bathrooms through the use of sensor-activated faucets in the sinks and high-efficiency toilets and urinals that regulate water flow and reduce consumption. Turbines in the faucets actually generate the electricity that powers those sensors.
Expansion Brings New Jobs
The new store plans to employ approximately 390 associates, including 200 new positions created by the expansion. Twenty-four of the store associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years and six of the associates have worked at the Flint store since its original opening in 1993. The average wage at Wal-Mart for regular full-time hourly associates in Michigan is approximately $10.88 per hour.*
“It makes me proud to work for a company that provides unlimited opportunities,” said Greenlees.
Focus on Community with Initial Grants to Local Schools and Organizations
Greenlees said the new Supercenter will continue to provide support for local causes, beginning with the donation of $21,500 in grants benefiting various organizations in the community. Among the grant recipients is the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Flint, which will receive $5,000 for an after-school tutoring program.
“We are so proud to be part of this community and to show our continued support,” Greenlees said. “We are thrilled to celebrate our opening by contributing to local organizations.”
Grand Opening Activities
To celebrate the new store opening, local residents are invited to attend the 8 a.m. grand opening activities. Flint Mayor Don Williamson will join Greenlees and Wal-Mart associates in cutting the ribbon and officially opening the store. The Boy Scouts of Greater Flint – Tall Pine Council will present the colors. Other activities planned during the celebration include numerous product samplings and give-aways from Country Fresh, Nestle and Kraft and character appearances from Bessie the Cow and Ernie the Elf.
Wal-Mart in Michigan
As of March 2008, Wal-Mart employed 31,712 associates in Michigan and owned and operated the following facilities in the state:
- Supercenters: 65
- Discount Stores: 19
- Sam’s Clubs: 26
- Distribution Centers: 1
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week millions of customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $296 million to local communities in the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfacts.com, www.walmartstores.com, or www.walmartfoundation.org.
EDITOR’S NOTES
• An invitation-only open house for VIPs, Wal-Mart associates and their families is scheduled for Thursday, April 8. Preview tours will be provided. Reporters and photographers are welcome. The majority of grants will be presented to area organizations at this event.
• Store Manager Brian Greenlees can provide details about the grand opening, offer quotes for interviews and arrange for photo opportunities or preview tours. He can be contacted at 810-733-5055.
FACT SHEET
Flint Wal-Mart Supercenter
Store fast facts
- Location: 4313 Corunna Road; Flint, Mich.
- Originally opened in 1993
- 205,560-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
- Store opening Wednesday, April 9, at 8 a.m. following a grand opening ceremony
- Store manager: Brian Greenlees
Charitable giving $21,500
$21,500 in charitable contributions to area organizations:
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association - Western Michigan Chapter
- Boy Scouts of America – Tall Pine Council
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Flint
- City of Swartz Creek Police Department
- Flint Community Schools
- Flint Township Police Department
- Hurley Foundation
- Make-A-Wish Foundation of Michigan
- Metro Housing Partnership of Flint
- Rainbow Connection
Store features
• Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, beer and wine sales, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, health and beauty aids, toys, vision center, garden center, Tire & Lube Express, one-hour photo lab, a pharmacy and a Wal-Mart Connect Center.
• Leased areas include a Subway restaurant and a SmartStyle Family Hair Salon
• Wal-Mart MoneyCenter, offering low-cost money services, including check cashing, money orders, bill payment and money transfers
• Open 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week
Employment
• The store plans to employ approximately 390 associates, adding 217 planned new associates with the expansion.
• The average wage at Wal-Mart for regular full-time hourly associates in Michigan is approximately $10.88 per hour.*
• Wal-Mart benefits – available to full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, company performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance.
* Average wage taken February 2008. See www.walmartfacts.com for details.
For more information
• Store manager: Brian Greenlees, 810-733-5055
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com.
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