Walmart Expands to Bring One-Stop Shopping Convenience to Secaucus Community

Secaucus store adds 150 jobs, offers full grocery department and added values

SECAUCUS, N.J., June 10, 2010 – The newly expanded Walmart in Secaucus is celebrating its grand opening this week, adding 150 jobs while giving local shoppers a glimpse of the company’s next generation of store design and customer experience. The results of an 18-month remodeling project will be unveiled at 8 a.m., Wednesday, June 16 with local dignitaries joining store manager Tracy Ferschweiler and store associates at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The newly expanded Secaucus Walmart, located at 400 Park Place, added a complete grocery department and renovated the store with a new store layout, wider aisles, low-profile shelving, bright interior paint scheme, enhanced lighting and easy-to-read signage to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers.

According to Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli, the new Walmart is providing a much-needed boost to this community and surrounding areas. “The residents of Secaucus have been without a grocery store for three years,” said Gonnelli. “Walmart’s expansion provides excellent job opportunities in their community as well as a full grocery store that completely meets their needs.”

The Secaucus Walmart expansion added approximately 150 associate positions, according to Ferschweiler. Ferschweiler has been the store manager at the Secaucus store for more than five years and started his Walmart career 16 years ago as an assistant manager in Woodburn, Ore. “I am a true example of having a successful career with Walmart,” said Ferschweiler. “Now I can help provide opportunities for many new associates that live in this community.” he added.

Store Designed to Improve Customer Experience

In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandising and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores, such as the Secaucus Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores. The expanded Walmart features a more open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays and a new layout with time and money saving features.

The expanded Secaucus Walmart now features a refreshed, earth-toned façade complete with a new logo. Inside, customers will notice a bright interior color palette that creates an inviting shopping experience and helps define the store’s merchandise areas. Lower shelving creates an improved sightline and directional signage on every aisle helps customers find everyday necessities more quickly. Walmart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently, including health and beauty and pet supplies.

The Secaucus Walmart added 32,000-square feet to offer customers a full line of groceries, including a new deli offering freshly prepared meal solutions for busy people on-the-go, a meat department, fresh produce, and a dairy department, as well as a bakery featuring artisan breads and custom cakes.

In addition, customers will appreciate the enhanced housewares department and the four newly added registers with touch screens for convenient checkout.

The remodel brings Walmart customers an expanded electronics department featuring a wide selection of the latest consumer electronics and home entertainment. The new design includes a more hands-on experience for customers with expansive video gaming selection and portable electronics. The interactive experience enables shoppers to test new technology.

A new department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons and helium tanks, cake supplies and gift wrap.

Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features

The Secaucus Walmart, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. The store’s skylights harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. LED lighting in the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting.

The cement used in the concrete flooring is made with recycled materials, and the floor’s finish reduces the need for chemical cleaners. Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms. The new store also operates a recycling program and will promote sustainable product purchases.

Community and business leaders including Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli and members of the Secaucus Chamber of Commerce will join Ferschweiler and Walmart associates at 8 a.m. Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

• Location: 400 Park Place, Secaucus, N.J.
• 199,000-square-foot Walmart, gaining an additional 32,000 square feet
• Store opens Wednesday, June 16, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m.
• Store manager: Tracy Ferschweiler
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

• Full line of groceries including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions, meat and dairy products, fresh produce
• More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and an expanded electronics department
• Convenience services include a pharmacy, vision center, digital photo processing center and a Walmart Connect Center
• Leased areas and services include a McDonald’s restaurant

• Store plans to employ approximately 750 associates, including 150 newly added positions
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in New Jersey is approximately $12.02 per hour*
• Walmart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include health insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart 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 April 2010. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

• Store manager Tracy Ferschweiler is available for interviews and to arrange photo opportunities or tours. He can be reached at 321-354-2096.
• Walmart PR and Brand Reputation, 800-331-0085.
• Walmart information online: www.walmartstores.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com

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Editor’s Note: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the legal trade name of the corporation. The name "Walmart," expressed as one word and without punctuation, is a trademark of the company and is used analogously to describe the company and its stores. Use the trade name when it is necessary to identify the legal entity, such as when reporting financial results, litigation or corporate governance.