Store brings new concept, 65 jobs and local favorites to community
DOWNEY, Calif., Nov. 7, 2012 – Walmart will open a new Walmart Neighborhood Market on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 12270 Paramount Blvd. The new store is located in the former Alin Party Supply building and will provide Downey residents with a convenient location to purchase all their grocery needs, including fresh produce.
“We are excited to welcome Walmart to Downey,” said Mario A. Guerra, Councilman. “This new store will drive shoppers to an area that needed revitalization and will increase foot traffic to nearby small businesses in the community. The added tax revenue will allow us to continue to provide great benefits to our City and the services we strive to provide our residents.”
The Downey location is the third Walmart Neighborhood Market to open in Los Angeles County. The other Walmart Neighborhood Markets opened in Panorama City and Bell Gardens earlier this year.
“This new Walmart Neighborhood Market will bring affordable, healthy produce and more food options to our residents,” said Mayor Roger Brossmer. “The store will significantly benefit this growing community by offering additional revenue and new jobs.”
Walmart Neighborhood Market Format
The first Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, and today there are approximately 200 Neighborhood Market stores nationwide. The stores offer quick and convenient shopping for groceries, pharmacy items and general merchandise.New Downey Store
The 33,000-square-foot store is tailored for the Downey community, featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, fresh cakes and bread, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The deli will feature a Grab-and-Go section with rotisserie chicken, fresh-baked pizza and standard deli sides. In addition to the fresh produce, bakery and deli items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items.Shoppers will also appreciate the convenience of the store’s pharmacy, along with a full selection of health-related products and a health and beauty area. Additional areas include stationery, paper goods, pet products and hardware items. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store. The store will be open from 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
The store will offer Site-to-Store, a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup.
All Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets participate in the Pay with Cash program. This allows customers to order online at Walmart.com and pay for the items with cash at all stores in the U.S. Walmart is the first major retailer to offer online purchases without the need for banking services or a credit, debit or prepaid card.
This store features many energy-saving elements, part of Walmart’s overall efforts to reduce the total amount of energy used in stores and other operations. These features include LED lights in signage, freezer cases and the parking lot. This technology uses about 50 percent less energy than traditional lighting.
Opening Creates 65 Jobs
Approximately 65 part- and full-time jobs will be created with the new store opening. Store manager Jaime Onibasa began her Walmart career 15 years ago as a cashier at a store in Utah.
“We’re very excited to bring a Neighborhood Market to Downey. The Neighborhood Market is small, community store that will give residents a choice when it comes to affordable, fresh and healthy food options for their families,” said Onibasa.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration at 7:30 a.m., Nov. 7
The store will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7. The public is invited to join store associates and local dignitaries, including Mayor Roger Brossmer and council member Mario Guerra who will both participate in the brief ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting where the doors to the new store will be opened to the public.
The grand-opening day celebration will includes product samplings and giveaways like POM Wonderful from Paramount Farms, quesadilla samples by Romeros Tortillas, bagel samples from Sara Lee and various character appearances including Chester Cheeto, Bimbo Bear, and more. Additionally, a live band and face-painting for children will be offered as part of the grand opening celebration. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
Community Groups Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer’s ongoing charitable contributions and support for community projects. Grants totaling $13,000 will be presented to Downey YMCA, Downey Kiwanis, the ARC of Los Angeles and Orange Counties, St. Raymond Catholic School, PTA Helps, Latin Business Association Institute, Gangs Out of Downey, Downey Unified School District –True Lasting Connection (TLC) Family Resource Center, and Downey High School Cheer.
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, various grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations throughout the year.
Healthier Food and “Great For You”
Walmart made a major commitment to make food healthier and more affordable, ensuring families won’t have to choose between a product that is good for them and one they can afford. Steps in the healthier food initiative include:
- Reformulate thousands of packaged food items by 2015 by reducing sodium and added sugars and removing all remaining industrially produced trans fats.
- Make healthier choices more affordable by providing savings on fresh produce and reducing the price premium on “better-for-you” items.
- Provide solutions to address food deserts by bringing stores in underserved communities.
- Increase charitable support for nutrition programs that help educate consumers about healthier food solutions and choices.
The “Great For You” icon appears on select Great Value and Marketside products as well as fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables. The icon was developed to help customers easily identify nutritious food options so they can make healthier eating choices for themselves and their families. For more information, visit corporate.walmart.com/healthier-food .
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 10,300 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of $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://corporate.walmart.com , on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom . Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com .
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