Remodel brings more convenience and more savings on popular products
CONCORDIA, Kan., Oct. 1, 2010 – The Concordia Walmart, located at 140 E. College Drive, 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 Concordia Walmart, Friday, Oct. 8, during a grand re-opening ceremony at 8 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 Roy Reif.
New Layout Improves Customer Experience
The remodeled Concordia 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 Reif.
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.
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, Oct. 8, at 8 a.m., and will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by members of the Chamber of Commerce and a group of charter associates who have been with the store since the original opening in 1988. The community is invited to join the Concordia High School Choir led by Kevin Johnson as they perform the national anthem and as the local American Legion Color Guard present the colors. The store will serve cookies and punch to the community during the grand re-opening celebration.
During the ceremony, store associates will present grants from the Walmart Foundation to local service organizations, including City of Concordia Parks & Recreation Department, City of Concordia Police Department, Cloud County Community Resources Council, Concordia Chamber of Commerce, Concordia Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Cloud County Health Center-Lifeline, Concordia American Legion-76, National Orphan Train Complex, North Central Kansas NCK CASA, Guardians of the St. Joseph Church Foundation, City of Concordia Recreation Commission, and Cloud County Health Center Auxiliary.
“Walmart is an outstanding corporate partner in the Concordia community,” said Kirk Lowell, executive director of CloudCorp. “We appreciate the employment, inventory, taxes, financial donations and volunteerism that Walmart provides our community. Walmart's major capital investment in the recent remodeling of the Concordia Supercenter located on East College Drive, also shows Walmart's continued belief in our community and their positive and progressive commitment to Concordia's growth,” he continued. CloudCorp is the countywide economic development organization for Concordia and Cloud County, Kansas.
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 8,600 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 2010 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.
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