Store adds 60 new jobs, plus more convenience for local shoppers
WILLOWS, Calif., March 6, 2012 – The wait is over for residents in Willows 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 60 new jobs to the community. The store will be unveiled to customers at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 14, 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 Gabrielle Long. “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.”
New Layout Improves Customer Experience
The Willows 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 Long. “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.
Walmart Store Adds 60 New Jobs
The store plans to employ approximately 230 associates, including approximately 60 new positions. “Joining Walmart was a great career decision for me, as it has been for so many of my fellow associates,” Long said. “I am proud to work for this company where there are unlimited opportunities and to bring those opportunities to our community and neighbors.”
Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The Willows 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.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 8:30 a.m., March 14
Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 14 for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Store associate Rebecca Maness will perform the national anthem, and members of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1770 along with Willows Cub Scout Pack #68 will present the colors. Long 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.
FACT SHEET
Willows Walmart
Store facts
- Location: 470 Airport Road, Willows, Calif.
- 140,000-square-foot Walmart
- Store opens Wednesday, March 14, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
- Store manager: Gabrielle Long
- 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 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
Employment
- Store plans to employ approximately 230 associates, including approximately 60 new positions.
- The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in California is approximately $12.74 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 January 2012. See www.walmartstores.com for details.
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