New store provides 300 jobs, plus savings on wide variety of merchandise
IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 28, 2012 – Residents of Irvine are invited to the new Walmart store, which opens Wednesday, Nov. 28. The grand-opening ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and the store will open to the public immediately following the ribbon cutting. Conveniently located at 71 Technology Drive, the new store brings approximately 300 new jobs to the area and opportunities for savings for customers. It will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week.
“We welcome Walmart,” said Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang. “This is a reflection of a strong local economy that makes companies like Walmart confident moving forward.”
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28
Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Grand-Opening Events
Customers are encouraged to come to the store on grand-opening day to take advantage of a wide variety of grand-opening events and promotions. The grand-opening day celebration events include product samplings and giveaways. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
“We are excited to bring great jobs and Walmart’s everyday low prices to the Irvine community,” said store manager Suhardh Mehta. “We look forward to meeting our customers, and helping them save money so they can live better during the holiday season and all year long.”
Customer Convenience and Wide Product Selection
By combining general merchandise and a full line of groceries in one convenient location, the store offers Irvine shoppers the convenience of shopping close to home.
The new 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
- Crafts
- Fabrics
The grocery area will include a wide selection of fresh produce, including a variety of local and organic products. Other features include a bakery, meat and dairy products, dry goods and staples, beverages, a deli, frozen foods, canned and packaged goods, baking items and household supplies.
The pharmacy 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 and offer health and wellness solutions. They can also assist customers who wish to transfer their prescriptions to Walmart. The pharmacy is conveniently located at the front of the store next to the Walmart.com services department.
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, $43,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations. A $25,000 state giving grant will be presented to Working Wardrobes. A $10,000 donation will be presented to Families Forward. An additional $8,000 in grants will be distributed between Irvine Police Department, Irvine Fire Department, Irvine High School, East Shore Elementary School, Orange County Libraries, The Energy Coalition, O.M.I.D. Multicultural Institute for Development, Orange County Korean Cultural Center and South Coast Chinese Cultural Association.
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 300 New Jobs
The new Irvine Walmart will employ approximately 300 associates, according to Mehta. The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in California is approximately $12.89 per hour.* Eligible full-time 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) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, more than 200 million customers and members visit our 10,400 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 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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