Store renovation brings more convenience, expanded selections for local shoppers
POLAND, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2012 – The wait is over for Poland residents eager to see their expanded Walmart store, which will be unveiled to customers following a grand-opening ceremony scheduled for 7 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14. Conveniently located at 1300 Doral Drive, the expanded store brings approximately 85 new jobs to the area and opportunities for customers to save money. The store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 7 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14
Members of the Youngstown Chamber of Commerce will join Walmart associates and store manager Allan McGivern at 7 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 14, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Members of the Boardman High School choir will sing the national anthem, and students from the Robinwood Lane Middle School will perform during the celebration.
Grand-Opening Events
Customers are encouraged to come to the store on grand-opening day to take advantage of a wide variety of events and promotions. The events include product samplings and giveaways, and character appearances. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
“We are proud to be expanding during the year that Walmart celebrates the 50th anniversary of its first store opening,” said McGivern. “We look forward to serving the people of our community, helping save them money so they can live better.”
Full Grocery, Customer Convenience and Wide Product Selection
By combining general merchandise and a full line of groceries in one convenient location, the store offers Youngstown shoppers the convenience of one-stop shopping close to home.
The store features a wide assortment of quality, value-priced merchandise, including:
- Family apparel
- Health and beauty aids
- Electronics
- Toys
- Lawn and garden items
- Jewelry
- Automotive products
- Home furnishings
- Hardware
- Sporting goods
- Pet supplies
- Housewares
The new grocery area includes a wide selection of fresh produce, including a variety of organic products. Other features include a full bakery, meat and dairy products, dry goods and household staples, beverages, a deli, frozen foods, canned and packaged goods, baking items, household supplies and a fabric department.
The expanded pharmacy, conveniently located at the front of the store next to the front registers, will offer a full range of products and services to support the health and wellness of customers and their families. The pharmacy team can answer questions, offer health and wellness solutions and assist customers who wish to transfer their prescriptions to Walmart. The store also features a MoneyCenter, and a vision center with a dedicated staff to offer exams and screenings.
Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
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.
Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer’s ongoing charitable contributions and support for community projects. As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $7,500 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations including Angels for Animals, Boardman Township Police, Market Street School, Ohio National Guard, Youngstown and Mahoning Public Library, Red Cross of Mahoning Valley, Veterans Outreach and Zion Lutheran Church.
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.
Walmart.com Services
Walmart.com services will be available at the store’s entrance. In addition to a digital-photo processing lab, the store will also 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).
Pay With Cash
All Walmart stores and Walmart 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.
Economic Impact Includes Approximately 85 New Jobs
The Walmart will employ approximately 300 associates, including approximately 85 positions created by the expansion, according to McGivern. The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Ohio is approximately $12.46 per hour.* McGivern began his Walmart career in 1996 as an assistant manager in Washington, Pa., and became manager of the Youngstown store in January 2004. Ninety-three associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years, and 22 associates have worked for Walmart since the store originally opened in 1997. Eligible full- and part-time associates at Walmart are able to take advantage of many employment benefits, including a wide variety of health-care plans, 401(k) participation, discounts, membership at Sam’s Club and the opportunity to purchase stock. Nearly 75 percent of the company’s managers began their Walmart careers as hourly associates.
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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