Walmart Brings Savings and Convenience to Moscow

 Store adds full line of groceries and 150 new jobs

MOSCOW, Idaho, Jan. 11, 2012 – The wait is over for residents in Moscow eager to see their Walmart bring savings on a full line of groceries and a wide assortment of new products and services. The Walmart is designed to make shopping easy for customers. The store will bring 150 new jobs to the community. The store will be unveiled to customers at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“We have a loyal customer base and some have been shopping here since our original opening,” said store manager Helena Probasco. “We think they’ll love the new, easy-to-shop layout of the store and appreciate the savings we offer on the products they need.”

The Moscow Walmart also features a new layout and updated design. In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandise and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores with faster service, a friendlier shopping experience and cleaner stores.

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save customers time as they shop for everyday necessities at our unbeatable prices,” said Probasco. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

The new layout creates an open shopping environment with wider aisles. Lower shelving throughout the store creates an improved sightline and directional signage on every aisle helps customers find what they are looking for quickly.

The store plans to employ approximately 200 associates, including approximately 150 new positions. Approximately 50 associates are relocating from a nearby store. “Joining Walmart was a great career decision for me, as it has been for so many of my fellow associates,” Probasco said. “I am proud to work for this company where there are unlimited opportunities and to bring those opportunities to our community and neighbors.”

The Moscow store, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms.

As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $15,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department will receive $5,000. The City of Moscow Parks and Recreation will receive $3,000. Backyard Harvest, St. Vincent De Paul Society, and Moscow Hope Center will each receive $2,000, and Trinity Moscow Food Pantry will receive $1,000.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 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 http://walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

• Location: 2470 W. Pullman Road, Moscow, Idaho
• 118,000-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens Wednesday, Jan. 25, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m.
• Store manager: Helena Probasco
• 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 and wine
• More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, 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

$15,000 in grants will be presented from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations:

• The Moscow Volunteer Fire Department
• City of Moscow Parks and Recreation
• Backyard Harvest
• Moscow Hope Center
• St. Vincent De Paul Society
• Trinity Moscow Food Pantry

• Store plans to employ approximately 200 associates.
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Idaho is approximately $11.90 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, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance.

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

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