Store provides jobs, grocery, deli, bakery and wide selection of merchandise
HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2012 – Walmart opens a new store in Houston this month, bringing savings and convenience closer for residents and businesses in the northwest quadrant of the city. Located at 13003 Tomball Parkway, at the intersection of Highway 249 and Smiling Wood Lane, the store brings 300 new jobs, savings on a full line of groceries 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. Local dignitaries will join store manager Angela Mann and store associates to celebrate during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25.
The 152,000-square foot store features a full line of groceries, as well as a bakery, a deli, a frozen food section, and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections. Time-saving services and an expansive merchandise selection add to its one-stop shopping convenience. Wide aisles, bright interior paint scheme, enhanced lighting and easy-to-read signage make the shopping experience more convenient for customers.
Economic Impact Includes Approximately 300 New Jobs
The Smiling Wood store plans to employ approximately 300 associates. Several associates have transferred to the new store from existing Walmart locations and have worked for the company for more than 10 years.
“Walmart provides job opportunities and career choices for everyone from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people wanting to gain work experience,” Mann said. She started her career with Walmart as an hourly associate in1997, working part-time to prepare the Tomball store for its opening.
Store Designed to Improve Customer Experience
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 Smiling Wood Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores.
The new Walmart features enhanced services and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. Walmart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently.
“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said Mann. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, including placing health and beauty products near the pharmacy, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”
Walmart also combined the 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.
Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The new Smiling Wood 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 flooring throughout the store reduces the need for chemical cleaners. Low-flow toilets and no-touch faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms. The new store also operates a recycling program and will promote sustainable product purchases.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration, 7:30 a.m., Jan. 25
The grand-opening celebration for the Smiling Wood Houston store is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 25. Community and businesses leaders will join store associates for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4 Post 581 will raise the flag to begin the ceremony. Walmart associate Makeda Guinn will perform the national anthem.
Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
During the ceremony, store associates will present $12,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to local organizations, including Epps Island Elementary School, Houston Food Bank, the Houston Police Department and the Houston Fire Department.
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.
FACT SHEET
Houston’s Smiling Wood Walmart
Store facts
- Location: 13003 Tomball Parkway, Houston, Texas
- 152,000-square-foot Walmart
- Store will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25
- Store manager: Angela Mann
- Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Store features
- Full line of groceries, including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for busy people on-the-go, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, and beer and wine
- 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 with two drive-thru lanes, vision center, digital photo processing center and a Walmart Connect Center
- Leased areas include a Subway restaurant and a branch of Woodforest National Bank
Charitable Giving
$12,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented to the following local organizations:
- Epps Island Elementary School
- Houston Fire Department
- Houston Food Bank
- Houston Police Department
Employment
- Store plans to employ approximately 300 associates
- The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Texas is approximately $12.19 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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