New Walmart Brings Savings and Convenience to Cortland

233,000-square-foot store features full-line of groceries, expanded merchandise selections

CORTLAND, N.Y., Oct. 1, 2010 – The Cortland Walmart will move to its new location this month. The new store is located at 819 Bennie Road. The opening of the store brings 175 new jobs to the community and more savings and convenience for local shoppers. Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer’s ongoing charitable contributions and support for community projects. The new Walmart will be open to customers at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 13, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“The new Walmart store in Cortland will be a much needed economic boost for the community,” said Cortland Mayor Susan Feiszli, “On behalf of the City of Cortland, I welcome the new Walmart store and wish them a successful business future.”

The Cortland Walmart will employ approximately 350 associates, including 175 positions created by the relocation. According to store manager Brad Phoenix, 70 of the store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years. Phoenix began his Walmart career in Cortland in 1992 as a department manager at the time of the store’s original opening. He recently returned to his hometown as manager of the new Cortland Walmart.

The new 233,000-square-foot store has more than 30 merchandise departments including a full-line of groceries and an expanded electronics department. The store features wide aisles 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 Phoenix. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, 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.

As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, several grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. The organizations receiving grants include JM McDonald Sports Complex, 1890 House Museum, Family Counseling Services of Cortland, Helping Hands Caring Hearts of Cortland, Onondaga/Cortland/Madison BOCES School, Cortland Public Education Foundation, Cortland Repertory Theater, Cortland County Chapter of Red Cross, Cortland County Chamber of Commerce, and Cortland Salvation Army.

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.

The Cortland 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 will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 13 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The national anthem will be performed by the Cortland High School Band and Walmart associate Loreli Rennus. The Cortland Veterans of Foreign Wars will present the colors.

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.

• Location: 819 Bennie Road
• Formerly located at 872 State Route 13
• 233,000-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Oct.13 following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Brad Phoenix
• 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 beer
• 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 Walmart Wireless center, pharmacy with drive thru, and a digital photo processing center
• Leased areas and services include Alliance Bank, Elite Sports and Smart Style Hair Salon.

Grants will be presented from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations

• JM McDonald Sports Complex
• 1890 House Museum
• Family Counseling Services of Cortland
• Helping Hands Caring Hearts of Cortland
• Onondaga/Cortland/Madison BOCES School
• Cortland Public Education Foundation
• Cortland Repertory Theater
• Cortland County Chapter of Red Cross
• Cortland County Chamber of Commerce
• Cortland Salvation Army

• Store plans to employ approximately 350 associates
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in New York is approximately $12.21 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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