Wheeling Walmart Welcomes Customers to New Store

Expanded Walmart provides 85 new jobs, plus savings on wide selection of merchandise

WHEELING, Ill., Aug. 15, 2012 – A newly expanded Walmart opens this month in Wheeling, bringing 85 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 Wheeling Walmart, located at 1455 E. Lake Cook Road, will open to customers at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 15.

The newly expanded Wheeling Walmart will employ approximately 300 total associates, according to store manager Roger Fox, including 85 new positions added by the expansion. Fox began his Walmart career in 1991 at the Walmart in Grand Rapids, Minn. Sixty-four associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years, and seven associates have worked for Walmart since the store originally opened in 1992.

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 Wheeling Walmart, with fast service, and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers.

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said Fox. “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.

The pharmacy is adjacent to health and beauty, making it easier for customers to pick up their prescriptions while shopping for their everyday needs. The store now offers customers a complete grocery department, including a bakery, deli, dairy, frozen food, a meat department and fresh produce.

Customers will also appreciate the upgraded electronics department featuring a wide selection of the latest consumer electronics and home entertainment. The new design includes a more hands-on experience for customers with interactive displays for hi-definition Blu-ray, video gaming and portable electronics. The interactive experience enables shoppers to test new technology. The store now offers customers the convenience of a digital photo lab that can create custom greeting cards, gifts and posters with dedicated associates on hand to help meet their needs.

A new department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons, helium tanks, cake supplies and gift wrap.

As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, the store has raised $15,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network and will present a $1,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to the Wheeling Jaycees.

Like all new Walmart stores, the Wheeling Walmart includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. LED lighting in the freezers operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting.

Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms. The new store also operates a recycling program and will promote sustainable product purchases, as well as organic food recycling.

Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 15, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Sheryl & Tom Duet & Friends will perform, and local dignitaries, including Wheeling Village President Judy Abruscato, will participate in the ceremony.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 10,130 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.

• Location: 1455 E. Lake Cook Road, Wheeling, Ill.
• 150,000-square-foot Walmart
• Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 15, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
• Store manager: Roger Fox
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

• Full line of groceries, including a bakery, a deli with meal solutions for moms, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, and beer, wine and liquor
• 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

• $16,000 will be presented to the following area organizations:
  • Wheeling Jaycees ($1,000)
  • Children’s Miracle Network ($15,000)

• Store plans to employ approximately 300 associates, including 85 positions created by the expansion
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Illinois is approximately $12.85 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 health care coverage with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers eligible associates matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive bonus based on store performance.

* Average wage taken April 2012. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

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