New Walmart provides 250 jobs, plus savings on wide selection of merchandise
PANAMA CITY, Fla., Jan. 14 – Residents of Panama City are invited to the new Walmart store, which opens on Wednesday, Jan. 23, at 513 W. 23rd St. The grand opening is scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and the store will open to the public immediately following the grand-opening ceremony. Conveniently located next to Gulf Coast Medical Center, the new store brings approximately 250 new jobs to the area and opportunities for savings for customers. It will be open 24 hours per day, seven days a week.
“On behalf of the City officials and entire leadership of the City of Panama City, we sincerely appreciate the confidence Walmart has in our community by making this investment,” said Mayor Greg Brudnicki.
“It is with the utmost excitement and joy that we welcome Walmart back to the city of Panama City in the 23rd Street location at State Avenue and 23rd Street,” said Billy Rader, city commissioner of Ward III and mayor pro tempore of the city of Panama City. “The economic growth and development, with the announcement of 200 plus new jobs to our city, is a blessing beyond description.”
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 23
Community and business leaders, including the mayor will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 23, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. The national anthem will be performed by members of the Mosley Ensemble Choir. A local Boy Scouts troop and members of the Bay County Sherriff Office Explorers Post will present the colors. Pastor Louis D. Brown will provide the invocation. Additionally, Commissioner Rader will perform “America the Beautiful.”
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 celebration events include product samplings, giveaways and character appearances. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
“We are excited to bring Walmart back to Panama City,” said store manager Tim Cobb. “We’ve considered everything local residents want and created a true store of the community.”
Customer Convenience and Wide Product Selection
By combining general merchandise and a full line of groceries in one convenient location, the store offers Panama City shoppers the convenience of one-stop 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
The grocery area will include 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 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.
Community Organizations Benefit from Grand Opening Grants
Non-profit 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, grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations.
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 rear of the store. 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).
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 250 New Jobs
The new Panama City Walmart will employ approximately 250 associates, according Cobb. The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Florida is approximately $12.72 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
###