Associates celebrate expansion with grand opening event
DORAL, Fla., May 18, 2012 – The wait is over for residents in Doral eager to see their Walmart’s completed expansion, at 8651 N.W. 13th Terrace. Along with the new design, the store brings savings to local shoppers on a full line of groceries and a wide assortment of new products and services. The newly renovated Walmart is designed to make shopping easy for customers. The layout creates an open shopping environment with wider aisles. Walmart also aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently. Local dignitaries will join store manager Eddie Marciniak and store associates to celebrate the grand opening at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m., Friday, May 18, outside of the store. Doors to the new store will open immediately following the ribbon-cutting.
The store originally opened in 1994. The expansion has increased the store’s size by more than 100,000 square feet, including a full line of grocery items, fresh produce, meats, seafood, a bakery, a cafeteria, a coffee bar and an expanded electronics department.
“We have a loyal customer base and some have been shopping here since our original opening,” said Marciniak. “We think they’ll love the easy-to-shop layout of the new Walmart and appreciate the savings we offer on the products they are looking for.”
“We are excited to see the Walmart expansion in our community. With the opening of the grocery side, they continue to be a big part of the positive economic development for the City of Doral,” said Juan Carlos Bermudez, mayor of Doral. “They take their sense of community very seriously and have been a very supportive partner of Doral.”
Store Brings Savings and Convenience
Shoppers in Doral will now have the convenience of one-stop shopping closer to home. 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 Doral Walmart, with fast service and a friendly shopping experience.
The store will feature a full line of groceries, including fresh produce from local suppliers, a fresh cut meat department with an on-site butcher, fresh seafood, a coffee bar, a cafeteria for lunch and dinner dining, a bakery, a deli serving fresh food, Latin pastries and meal solutions for mom. There are more than 30 merchandise departments throughout the store, including apparel and accessories, health and beauty aids, a luggage shop, a Disney shop, and a bike center with accessories. Convenience services include a pharmacy, a digital photo processing center and a Walmart Connect Center.
A beautiful mural depicting the Miami skyline and the multicultural community of Doral, done by local artist Carlos Augusto, hangs above the cafeteria and deli area. The bistro-like setting allows customers to dine on local favorite dishes, such as Arroz Amarillo, Masita de Cerdo, yellow plaintains, and rice, along with many American dishes. Customers can complement their meals with a freshly baked pastry and a Café con Leche from the coffee bar.
Walmart is committed to providing low prices every day. Walmart’s ad match policy states that if a customer finds a lower advertised price on an identical product, Walmart will match it at the register. Walmart also accepts a wide variety of coupons, including print-at-home coupons, manufacturers’ coupons, checkout coupons and competitors’ coupons.
Walmart.com Services
For added convenience, Walmart.com services will be available at the store’s entrance, in addition to a digital photo processing lab. The store will offer two services for customers who shop online. Site-to-Store is a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup. Pick Up Today is a free service that allows customers to order store items online and pick them up at their local Walmart store that same day (or the next day if items are ordered after 6 p.m. local time).
Economic Impact Includes 200 New Jobs
The Doral Walmart added 200 new associates due to the expansion. Marciniak began his Walmart career in 1994 in the management training program. “Walmart provides job opportunities and career choices for everyone from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people wanting to gain work experience,” said Marciniak.
Pharmacy Services and Savings
Like all Walmart pharmacies, the Doral store will offer a full range of products and services that can improve the health and wellness of customers and their families. Store pharmacist George Demarchena can answer questions and offer health and wellness solutions. He and his team can also assist customers who wish to transfer their prescriptions to Walmart. The pharmacy is conveniently located adjacent to food making it easier for customers to pick up their prescriptions while shopping for their groceries.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 8 a.m., Friday, May 18
Commissioner “Pepe” Diaz and other community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 8 a.m., Friday, May 18, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez of Doral will cut the ribbon.
Grand Opening Events
Grand opening celebration events will include product samplings and giveaways from several vendors of the Latin and American Culture through the weekend.
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 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 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
Doral Walmart
Store facts
- Location: 8651 N.W. 13th Terrace, Doral, Fla.
- 234,729 square-foot Walmart
- Ribbon-cutting ceremony, Friday, May 18, 8 a.m.
- Store manager: Eddie Marciniak
- Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Store features
- Full line of groceries, including a bakery, a cafeteria, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for moms, meat, seafood and dairy products, fresh produce, a coffee bar and full liquor sales.
- More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a luggage department, Disney items, garden center, and health and beauty aids.
- Convenience services include a pharmacy, digital photo processing center and Walmart Connect Center
- Leased area includes a McDonalds restaurant
Employment
- The store will employ a total of approximately 750 associates, which includes 200 new jobs created by the expansion.
- The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Florida is approximately $12.47 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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