Store brings approximately 65 new jobs, new store format to the city
OXNARD, Calif., Nov. 8, 2012 – The first Walmart Neighborhood Market in Oxnard will open Wednesday, Nov. 14, providing Ventura County residents a convenient location to pick up all their grocery needs, including fresh produce. The new store is located at 421 W. Esplanade Blvd., at the intersection of Highway 101 and Oxnard Boulevard. It occupies space in the Esplanade Shopping Center left vacant from a former Circuit City. The store will be open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Walmart Neighborhood Market Format
The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, and today there are approximately 200 Walmart Neighborhood Market stores nationwide. The stores offer quick and convenient shopping for groceries, pharmacy items and general merchandise.
New Oxnard Store
The new 38,000-square-foot Oxnard Walmart Neighborhood Market features a self-serve deli with pre-packaged foods, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. In addition to fresh produce and bakery items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items. According to store manager Paul Fode, the new Walmart Neighborhood Market has customized its merchandise to meet the needs of its local customers, including a large selection of Hispanic items and select Asian 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. The store will offer general merchandise such as baby supplies and items for the home. Additional areas include household items, stationery, paper goods, pet products, hardware items and a Celebration Station, where customers can buy gift wrap and gift bags, greeting cards and party supplies. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store.
The store will offer Site-to-Store services, a regular feature at Walmart stores. 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.
All Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets participate in the Pay with Cash program. This allows customers to order online at www.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.
Opening Creates Approximately 65 Jobs
Approximately 65 part- and full-time jobs were created by the store’s opening. Fode joined Sam’s Club in 2008 in Oxnard and brings with him several years of management experience. In 2009, he was named manager of the Gardena Sam’s Club. He returned to the Oxnard Sam’s Club as club manager before joining Walmart’s Neighborhood Market team.
"As a long-term resident of Ventura County, I look forward to getting to know our local customers and assisting them with all of their grocery needs," said Fode. "I'm also proud to bring new jobs to the community while filling a formerly vacant space in Oxnard."
Community Groups Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
As part of the grand-opening celebration, $5,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local community groups. Grants recipients include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ventura County, Community Among Friends and the Oxnard Union High School District. Additional funds will be available throughout the year for local organizations that serve the community. Interested groups can visit foundation.walmart.com for more information.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration at 7:30 a.m., Nov. 14
Store associates will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14. Store associates and local dignitaries will participate in a brief ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting. Doors to the new store will be opened to the public immediately following the grand-opening ceremony. Special events on grand-opening day include games, product giveaways and samplings from companies such as Nabisco, Monster, Sara Lee and El Mejicano. Special activities and promotions will continue Saturday, Nov. 17. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
Healthier Food and “Great For You”
Walmart made a major commitment to make food healthier and healthier food 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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