PALM DESERT, CA, May 15, 2013 – Walmart today announced it will be opening Riverside County's first Walmart Neighborhood Market in the City of Palm Desert this fall. The store will fill a retail space that has been vacant for almost two years in a shopping center near the intersection of Fred Waring Drive and Highway 111 and will bring fresh and affordable groceries to the area, as well as an assortment of everyday goods.
The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, and the first in California opened last year in Huntington Beach. Today there are about 250 Walmart Neighborhood Market stores nationwide. The Neighborhood Market, located at 72-314 Highway 111, will be approximately 45,000 square feet.
"We are excited to open our first Neighborhood Market in Riverside County. This store will not only provide jobs and spur more economic opportunities in the City, it will also bring more convenient access to fresh and affordable groceries to help families live healthier," said Aaron Rios, Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations for Walmart.
Walmart supports local charitable causes that are important to the communities it serves. Last fiscal year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation contributed more than $3.5 million to charitable and civic organizations in the Inland Empire, including Family Services of the Desert, Desert Arc and FIND Food Bank.
"Walmart has been a strong community partner in Palm Desert, providing families with access to affordable everyday goods and actively supporting local organizations," Mayor Jan Harnik said. "The opening of a new Neighborhood Market stands as a testament to the company's continued commitment to our area."
In addition to providing fresh food and general merchandise at Every Day Low Prices, Walmart brings new tax revenue to the cities where it operates, as well as quality jobs with competitive benefits. The new store will bring approximately 65 new job opportunities to the community.
"I am encouraged by Walmart's continuing investment in Palm Desert. The new Neighborhood Market will bring even more shopping choices to our city's residents and visitors," Councilmember Van Tanner said. "As a business owner, I can attest to the positive benefit of having Walmart in our community, and I look forward to continuing to work with the company for many years."
The new store will include energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy, water consumption and minimize waste. All internally illuminated exterior building signage will use light emitting diodes (LEDs). Highly efficient and low-flow toilets and faucets will reduce the water usage. The store will also operate a recycling program and promote sustainable product purchases.
The Palm Desert Walmart Supercenter and Sam's Club opened in 2005 and employ more than 400 associates combined.
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 245 million customers and members visit our more than 10,800 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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