Grand re-opening celebration marks completion of renovation at Elizabethtown Road store
LEITCHFIELD, Ky., July 10, 2010 – The Leitchfield Walmart, located at 1801 Elizabethtown Road, will celebrate a grand re-opening this week, giving local shoppers a glimpse of the company’s next generation of store design and customer experience. The results of a three-month remodeling project will be unveiled at the Leitchfield Walmart Friday, July 16, during a grand re-opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Among the many improvements are a new 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 than ever before.
“We listened to our customers and have redesigned the store to make shopping at Walmart even easier,” said store manager Rick Rutledge.
New Layout Improves Customer Experience
The remodeled Leitchfield store features a more open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays. Walmart also aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently, making it quicker to purchase everyday items.
“The new layout is easier to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for necessities,” said Rutledge.
A bright interior paint scheme and enhanced lighting create a more inviting shopping experience and help define the store’s merchandise areas. Low-profile shelving creates an improved sightline and directional signage helps customers find the products they need.
Expanded Departments Add Value and Savings
The remodel also 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 interactive displays for hi-definition Blu-ray, video gaming and portable electronics. The interactive experience enables shoppers to test new technology including laptops, cameras, phones and GPS units before purchase.
Shoppers looking to grab a quick lunch or dinner will have more choices in the store’s conveniently located deli. The store also features an expanded frozen food department and a broader assortment of dry grocery items including baking goods.
A redesigned department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons and helium tanks, cake supplies and gift wrap.
Grand Re-opening Activities Include Support for Local Organizations
The grand re-opening celebration is scheduled for Friday, July 16, at 7:30 a.m., and will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by store management, who will join a group of charter associates who have been with the store since the original opening in 1982. The community is invited to join Nancy Kiper as she performs the national anthem and as a group of local Veterans present the colors. The celebration will include an invocation offered by Scot Bratcher, pastor of First General Baptist Church. The store will serve cake and punch to the community during the grand re-opening celebration.
During the ceremony, store associates will present grants from the store and the Walmart Foundation to local service organizations, including American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Kentucky State Police ‘Shop with a Trooper’, City of Leitchfield Freedom Fest, Grayson County Community Alliance and Kosair Children’s Hospital.
“Walmart is a valuable asset in our community. They have continued to be an outstanding member of our community by providing numerous jobs for our citizens and giving back to our community through involvement and donations,” said Mayor William Thomason. “The City Council and I appreciate Walmart and are excited about the remodeling project. The investment they are making in our community demonstrates their commitment to us and our community,” he continued.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed $2 billion to U.S. hunger relief efforts through 2015. The Fighting Hunger Together campaign will also engage Walmart customers and associates in the fight against hunger. More information can be found at walmart.com/fightinghunger.
About Walmart
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.
###
EDITOR’S NOTES
- Rick Rutledge, store manager, can provide details about the grand re-opening, offer quotes for interviews and arrange for photo opportunities or preview tours. He can be contacted at 270-259-5622.
- Media contact: Kelly Jo Hinrichs, Mitchell Communications Group, 402-310-5581
- (Statements and quotes on behalf of Walmart should not be obtained from or attributed to agency employees.)
- Walmart PR and Brand Reputation: 800-331-0085
- Walmart information online: www.walmartstores.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
- 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.