Reno Walmart Welcomes Shoppers to New Store

New Walmart provides 250 jobs, plus savings on wide selection of merchandise

RENO, Nev., March 1, 2011 – A new Walmart opens this month in Reno, bringing 250 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 250 Vista Knoll Parkway, will be open to customers at 8:15 a.m., Wednesday, March 14.

The new Reno Walmart will employ approximately 250 associates, according to store manager Tim David. Davis is a long-time Nevada resident who began his Walmart career in 2011 as a developmental store manager in Reno. More than 25 associates at the new store have worked with Walmart for more than 10 years.

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

The new 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 Davis. “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 and the Site-to-Store pick-up location in one area near the entrance, as well as the pharmacy. 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, $2,500 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. North Valleys High School, O’Brien Middle School, Silver Lake Elementary School, the Reno Police and Fire Departments will each receive $500.

The Reno 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 that includes organic composting and will promote sustainable product purchases.

Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 14 for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Phillip Barlow will perform the national anthem, and members of North Valleys High School will present the colors. Davis and other associates will cut the ribbon to the new store.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 10,000 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs 2.2 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 http://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

• Location: 250 Vista Knoll Parkway, Reno, Nev.
• 153,859-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens at 8:15 a.m., Wednesday, March 14, following an 8 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Tim Davis
• 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, a 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 include a Subway restaurant

$2,500 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations:

• North Valleys High School
• O’Brien Middle School
• Silver Lake Elementary School
• Reno Police Department
• Reno Fire Department

• Store plans to employ approximately 250 associates
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Nevada is approximately $13.00 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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