Community of Grimes Welcomes New Walmart

New Walmart provides 260 new jobs, $15,000 in local grants

GRIMES, Iowa, Aug. 4, 2010 – A new Walmart opens this month in Grimes, bringing approximately 260 new jobs, savings on a full line of groceries and an increase in tax revenue to support the area’s economy. Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer’s ongoing charitable contributions and support for community projects. The Walmart, located at 2150 E.1 st St., will be open to customers at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 18.

The Grimes Walmart welcomes new store manager Arch Allison to Grimes. Allison began his career with Walmart in 1984, as a sale associate in the Marshalltown location. Allison will be on hand at the Grand Opening to meet and greet community members and officials.

"We are pleased to welcome a new Walmart to the City of Grimes," said Mayor Tom Armstrong. "The corporation's economic investment in this new store, especially during these tough economic times, offers a wonderful opportunity for our community. We are delighted with the new jobs provided and, just as importantly, with the renewed economic vitality that Walmart's presence will bring. Grimes will also benefit greatly from the company's charitable contributions to our service organizations."

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 Grimes Walmart.

The new Walmart features wide aisles, enhanced service and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. Walmart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently. The pharmacy, for example, is adjacent to food making it easier for customers to pick up their prescriptions while shopping for their groceries.

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said store manager Arch Allison. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase including health and beauty and pet supplies, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

A bright interior color palette 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 what they are looking for quickly. Walmart also combined the customer service desk, Site-to-Store pick-up location and photo lab in one area near the entrance. Customers now have easy access to these services, as well as associates on hand to help meet their needs.

The Grimes 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.

As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $15,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. These organizations will each receive grants to support programs that serve the community, including Special Olympics-Iowa, Governor’s District Alliance, Polk County Conservation, Des Moines Public Schools and Grimes Community Food Bank.

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.

Community and business leaders from Grimes Chamber & Economic Development will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. The community is invited to join DCG Choir as they perform the national anthem and as the color guard from Camp Dodge presents the colors. An invocation will be offered. The store will serve cake and punch to community members during the celebration.

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 2.0 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: 2150 E. 1st St.
• 155,110-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 18, just after a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

• Full line of groceries including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for moms, meat and dairy products, fresh produce and a full liquor department
• More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a drive-thru lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and an expanded electronics department
• Convenience services include a drive-thru pharmacy, digital photo processing center and Walmart Connect Center.

$15,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations:

• Special Olympics-Iowa
• Governor’s District Alliance
• Polk County Conservation
• Des Moines Public Schools
• Grimes Community Food Bank

• Store plans to employ approximately 260 new associates.
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Iowa is approximately $11.84 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 July 2010. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

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