Walmart Brings Savings and Convenience to Heber City

 New Walmart provides 200 jobs, plus savings on wide selection of merchandise

HEBER CITY, Utah, Aug. 3, 2011 – A new Walmart opens this month in Heber City, bringing 200 new jobs, savings for local shoppers 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 1274 S. U.S. Highway 189, will be open to customers at 8:15 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 17.

The new Heber City Walmart will employ approximately 200 associates, according to store manager Scott Murdoch. Murdoch began his Walmart career in 1994 as a part time cashier a store in Logan, Utah.

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 Heber City Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores.

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 Murdoch. “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. 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, $14,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented throughout the year.

The Heber City 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, Aug. 17 for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mayor David Phillips along with Murdoch and other associates will cut the ribbon to the new store. Cake and punch will be served to the community during the celebration

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 9,000 retail units under 60 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com, on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmart, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

• Location: 1274 S. U.S. Highway 189, Heber City, Utah
• 105,000-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Scott Murdoch
• 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.
• More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and an electronics department
• Convenience services include a pharmacy, digital photo processing center, tire and lube express, and a Walmart Connect Center.

• $14,000 grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented throughout the year.

• Store plans to employ approximately 200 associates
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Utah is approximately $11.85 per hour*
• Walmart’s benefit program is available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides a variety of affordable health and well-being benefits including medical insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise for store associates, a Sam’s Club membership for club associates, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive an annual incentive based on the company performance.

* Average wage taken June 2011. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

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