Renovated store features new layout with bright, open interior design
Leesville, La., Oct. 1, 2010 – The Leesville Walmart, located at 2204 S. Fifth St. off Shreveport Highway/Highway 171, 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 during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m., Friday, Oct. 8. 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.
“We listened to our customers and have redesigned the store to make shopping at Walmart even easier,” said store manager Wesley Hackett.
Local leaders are excited about the store’s transformation. Eddie Wise, executive director of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce, said, “Walmart provides a lot of benefits to Vernon Parish, beyond the convenience of being able to shop for anything you need at any time of day. As one of our largest employers, they provide jobs to many of our residents, and they also support nonprofit organizations. The store helps us keep our citizens close to home when they shop and attract shoppers into Leesville from outlying communities.”
New Layout Improves Customer Experience
The remodeled Leesville store features a more open shopping environment with wider aisles. 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 Hackett.
Among the changes, Walmart has combined the Site-to-Store pick-up location and photo lab into a single area at the rear of the store. Customers now have ready access to these services as well as associates who can provide assistance as needed.
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.
A new department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons, 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, and will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. During the ceremony, associates will present a total of $6,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to several local organizations, including:
- CASA
- Civitan Club
- Kiwanis Club
- Shop with a Cop
- Vernon Council on Aging
“In addition to grants from the Walmart Foundation, we’ve supported these organizations and other community charitable efforts for years by hosting fundraisers, providing volunteers and giving in-kind merchandise donations,” said Hackett. “We think of them as our partners and consider it a privilege to support the good work they do.”
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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