- New Kolb Road Walmart Neighborhood Market located at 2550 S.W. Kolb Road
- New Camino Seco Walmart Neighborhood Market located at 8640 E. Broadway Blvd.
- Approximately 200 jobs created by both Walmart Neighborhood Markets
- Stores open Friday, April 19, at 8 a.m. following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m.
TUCSON, Ariz., April 4, 2013 – Walmart will open two new Walmart Neighborhood Markets on the east side of town Friday, April 19, after brief ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 7:30 a.m. The new stores, approximately one-third the size of a Walmart Supercenter, are located at 2550 S.W. Kolb Road and 8640 E. Broadway Blvd. The new stores will provide local customers with a convenient option for their grocery shopping needs, including fresh produce and pharmacy services.
“We’re glad to see growth with businesses opening up in Ward 2,” said City Councilman Paul Cunningham. “Our commercial occupancy rate has risen in past years. During the great recession we saw a lot of empty store fronts that caused blight and criminal activity, which inhibited neighborhood pride. We welcome the Walmart Neighborhood Market to the neighborhood and are optimistic that they will be good neighbors.”
Smaller Store, More Convenience and Healthier Options
The Walmart Neighborhood Market format offers quick and convenient shopping, with a full grocery department, including organic and natural selections. Both stores feature prepared food options using the healthier process of prepared food by using a combination oven by Rational. This new oven eliminates the need to fry foods in oil while offering the same great taste. Fresh-baked breads, a self-serve deli and a bakery are also included. Both stores are tailored to the community, offering local favorites, including freshly made tortillas from Alejandro’s Tortilla Factory and Anita’s Street Market.
“Our associates are very proud of this new store and all it has to offer the Tucson community”, said Lee Simpson, store manager of the Kolb Road store. “The residents of the east side of Tucson will not have to commute as far to get great prices on products they love”.
The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services. Pharmacy team members can answer product and prescription questions and offer health and wellness solutions.
Community Giving
The Camino Seco store will have a presentation of $6,000 in grants to local community groups from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation.
The grand-opening celebration at the Kolb Road store includes presentations of $4,800 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups. Recipients include Rincon Baptist Church, Community Food Bank, Tucson Troop United and the Santa Rita High School.
“We are excited for the opening of the new Walmart Neighborhood Market at Golf Links and Kolb,” said Ward 4 Councilwoman Shirley Scott. “It brings needed revitalization to the area along with jobs and choices for shoppers. We also appreciate the support that Walmart gives to the Ward 4 Back to School Bash – a 12-year community event.”
New Store, New Jobs
The new stores employ approximately 200 full- and part-time associates. The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, and today there are approximately 230 Walmart Neighborhood Market stores nationwide.
Camino Seco store manager Jose Vargas, who has lived in the Tucson area for 32 years, began his Walmart career in 2003 as a department manager to get himself through school at the local community college. “I started out with a job, and now I have a career” said Vargas. “I grew up going to the local Walmart with my family as a boy, and now I will be helping others in Tucson save money and live better.”
Join the Conversation
Walmart invites Tucson shoppers to share their in-store experience on Facebook. Visit the My Local Walmart Facebook pages at http://www.facebook.com/walmart3049 and http://www.facebook.com/walmart3143. Fans of the local pages can receive information about rollbacks, in-store events, meal solutions and more.
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 more than 10,500 stores under 69 banners in 27 countries and e-commerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2013 sales of approximately $466 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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