- New store relocating to 1211 Highway 367 N. from 2500 Malcolm Ave.
- Newport Walmart creates approximately 85 new jobs
- Store open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m,. daily
NEWPORT, Ark., Aug. 7, 2013 – A newly relocated Walmart will open Wednesday, Aug. 14, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. The new store at 1211 Highway 367 N. is conveniently located two blocks north of the exising Walmart location and is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. It will provide Newport residents with one-stop shopping convenience for their grocery and general merchandise needs. The store is relocating from its previous location at 2500 Malcolm Ave. The store also offers pharmacy services and will now have a convenient drive-thru.
It will also have a unique feature: an interactive kiosk relating to Newport Walmart history. Newport was home to Walmart founder Sam Walton's first Ben Franklin store.
"There has been a buzz in the Newport community since the day construction began on the new Walmart," said Julie Allen, executive director of the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce. "It is great to see a renewed interest by other businesses in properties adjacent to the store and the site looks great."
"The Newport Economic Development Commission is pleased to see the commitment Walmart is making to Newport and Jackson County and believe both the businesses and the community will continue to experience growth," said Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Newport Economic Development Commission. "The NEDC and Walmart look forward to many years of mutual prosperity and growth."
One-Stop Shopping Convenience
The store features quality, value-priced general merchandise, including apparel, electronics, toys, sporting goods, and lawn and garden items. It also offers a full line of groceries, including organic and natural selections in addition to local favorites. Some local products available include Medallion, Yarnell's and Petit Jean Meats. There will also be other "Arkansas Produced" products featured at the new store.
The pharmacy offers a full range of products and services. Pharmacy team members can answer product and prescription questions and customers can ask about health and wellness solutions.
Community Giving
The grand-opening celebration also includes presentations of $8,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local community groups. Grant recipients include Newport Pentecostal Church of God Youth Group, Newport Charitable Foundation, Newport Service League and Tuckerman High School History Club.
New Store, New Jobs
The newly relocated store employs approximately 200 full- and part-time associates, including 85 jobs created by the relocation. Store manager Ron Mergy, a former Sergeant in the the Kansas Army National Guard and father of two Arkansas State Red Wolves, began his Walmart career in 1998 as a temporary, hourly associate in the garden center in Butler, Mo. Mergy, who has been the Newport Walmart manager for eight years, was inspired to become a store manager after seeing his mother work in the paint department of his hometown Walmart in Olathe, Kan.
"This newly relocated store is going to be great for the community, and I look forward to helping customers find everything they need while shopping at their new Supercenter," said Mergy. "There will be even more opportunities to save money and live better with this new, larger store. We look forward to the community joining us at the grand-opening celebration."
A Big Family Welcome
Walmart is happy to be part of the Newport community and is ready to celebrate with residents on Saturday, Aug. 17. A Big Family Welcome will give customers a chance to meet Mergy and enjoy fun family activities such as face painting, cupcake decorating and free food samples while supplies last. Join the celebration from noon to 3 p.m.
Join the Conversation
Walmart invites Newport shoppers to share their in-store experience on Facebook. Visit the My Local Walmart Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/walmart18. Fans of the local page 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 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.