Expanded Walmart Brings Savings and Convenience to White Lake

Renovated store adds 100 jobs, offers full grocery department and added values

WHITE LAKE, Mich., Oct. 19, 2010 – The wait is over for residents in White Lake eager to see their Walmart at 9190 Highland Road bring savings on a full line of groceries and a wide assortment of new products and services. The new Walmart is designed to make shopping easier for customers. The store’s expansion brings 100 new jobs to the community. The White Lake Walmart will unveil the new expansion to customers Wednesday, Oct. 27, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m.

The White Lake Walmart expansion added approximately 100 associate positions, according to store manager Rob Aquilina. He has been with the White Lake store for three years and started his Walmart career 11 years ago as a student intern at the Walmart offices in Bentonville, Ark. Of the current store associates, 31 have been with the store since it originally opened in 1999.

“I am a true example of having a successful career with Walmart,” said Aquilina. “Now I can help provide opportunities for many new associates that live in this community.”

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 White Lake Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores.

The newly expanded Walmart features 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 Aquilina. “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.

A new department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons and helium tanks, cake supplies and gift wrap

The White Lake Walmart added 38,000 square feet to offer customers a full line of groceries, including a new deli offering freshly prepared meal solutions for busy people on-the-go, a meat department, fresh produce, a dairy department, as well as a bakery featuring artisan breads and custom cakes.

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.

The White Lake Walmart, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. LED lighting in the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. 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.

Oct. 27 Grand-Opening Festivities: Ribbon Cutting 8 a.m., Family Halloween Trick-or-Treat 6-7 p.m.
White Lake store manager Rob Aquilina will join associates and local dignitaries at 8 a.m. Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $6,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration to Light House Emergency, Oxbow Elementary School, Rainbow Connection, White Lake Fire Department, White Lake Police Department and White Lake Township Good Fellows. Later in the evening, at 6 p.m., the store will host a family Halloween Trick-or-Treat hour with vendor samples.

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.

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: 9190 Highland Road, White Lake, Mich.
• 177,000-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 27, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Rob Aquilina
• Open 24 hours, 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, wine and liquor
• 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 pharmacy, digital photo processing center and Walmart Connect Center
• Leased areas and services include a Subway restuarant

$6,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations:

• Light House Emergency
• Oxbow Elementary School
• Rainbow Connection
• White Lake Fire Department
• White Lake Police Department
• White Lake Township Good Fellows

• Store plans to employ approximately 250 associates, of which 100 associates added due to the expansion
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Michigan is approximately $12.50 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 September 2010. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

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