New Wal-Mart Supercenter Sparks Retail Development In Pflugerville
Store brings value and convenience to growing city
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas, March 5, 2007 – The newest Wal-Mart Supercenter in Travis County will bring more than one-stop shopping convenience and discount groceries to Pflugerville when it opens March 14. Local residents are looking forward to being able to shop close to home while community leaders anticipate the store will attract additional businesses to the city and help generate greater tax revenues. As part of the grand opening activities, the store will distribute an initial $21,000 in donations to help several area organizations. The Pflugerville Supercenter will hold its grand opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 14. Doors will open at 8 a.m.
Located at 1548 FM 685, the store serves as the anchor of a new retail development along FM 685 on the north side of town. It is near the new toll highways of SH 130 and SH 45 that pass through Pflugerville and local leaders already credit Wal-Mart’s presence with attracting additional development to the nearby area.
“The new Wal-Mart Supercenter is a symbol of our town maturing into a city in its own right, a place that’s a great place to live, shop and work,” said Mayor Cat Callen. “We’re excited about the increased sales tax dollars the store will generate for our town – it is already acting as a catalyst for additional growth along the 685 corridor.”
In collaboration with local leaders, Wal-Mart designed the Supercenter to look like three separate buildings and placed windows above the entrances to give it the appearance of a second floor. Its exterior features a subtle palette of earth tones that complement other businesses in the area. The interior features a new customer-oriented layout, wider aisles, wood floors in the apparel departments and coordinated merchandise displays. The store’s environment friendly design features skylights, energy-efficient lighting and concrete flooring.
One-Stop Shopping Convenience
The new 203,819-square-foot Supercenter is designed as a convenient one-stop family shopping center, featuring a full line of groceries as well as a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections. Merchandise areas include apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, home, fine jewelry and health and beauty.
Customers will be able to find everything they need for their spring garden at the store’s Garden Center that features a drive-through loading area. The store also has home entertainment and electronics departments that showcase well-known consumer electronics such as MP3 players, iPods, DVD players for home or auto and high-definition televisions. Customers will find home décor and organization merchandise grouped together for their shopping convenience, and the store will stock a selection of Hispanic-oriented merchandise, including specialty foods, health and beauty aids, and household products.
Additional store features include a Tire & Lube Express, a family fun center, a McDonald’s restaurant, an Images Hair Design salon, a Da-Vi Nails salon, a vision center, a one-hour photo lab, a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales. Woodforest Bank will have a branch inside the store. The new 24-hour store will be open seven days a week and includes 16 full-service, eight express and four self check-out lanes.
Direct Store Grants Benefit Local Organizations
Upon its opening, the store will announce $21,000 in donations to a number of organizations, including three $5,000 grants to the Pflugerville Police Department, Pflugerville Independent School District and United Service Organizations. EDITOR’S NOTE: More grant recipients are listed on the fact sheet on page four.
“As the newest neighbor in the community, we realize financial support to local organizations helps make a real difference,” said Store Manager Joe Cumpian. “We are thrilled to provide these grants as part of our grand opening celebration. I can assure you we will continue to play a leadership role in supporting the needs of Travis County.”
The store plans to give donations away locally throughout the year. Area organizations can contact the store to inquire about grants, matching grants and opportunities to raise money outside store locations throughout the year.
New Store Brings Hometown Job Opportunities
Once open, the store plans to employ approximately 325 associates. More than 1,000 applications have been received for the new positions, most of which will be full-time, according to Cumpian. The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in Texas is approximately $10.31 per hour.*
“Working for Wal-Mart provides a number of job opportunities and choices for so many people, from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people just starting their work experience,” said Cumpian. Seven of the Pflugerville store’s associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years, working at other stores and relocating to the new store. Cumpian started his own career with Wal-Mart as an hourly associate in 1988, as an unloader in the receiving department at a store in Austin.
Grand Opening Celebration 7:30 a.m., March 14
The community is invited to attend a grand opening celebration at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 14. Representatives from the Greater Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce will be among those cutting the ribbon to the new store. Mayor Pro Tem Kurt Reece and other community leaders are scheduled to attend the celebration. Checks will be presented to representatives from local community organizations as part of the celebration. As part of the grand opening festivities, several Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders will make an appearance at the store from 10 a.m. to noon, signing autographs and taking pictures with customers. Throughout the day, customers will also be able to enjoy numerous product samples, character appearances and giveaways.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, more than 127 million customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $245 million to local communities in the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfacts.com, www.walmartstores.com, or www.walmartfoundation.org.
EDITOR’S NOTES
• An invitation-only open house for VIPs, Wal-Mart associates and their families is scheduled for Sunday, March 11, beginning at 6 p.m. Preview tours will be provided. Reporters and photographers are welcome.
• Joe Cumpian, store manager, can provide details about the grand opening, offer quotes for interviews and arrange for photo opportunities or preview tours. He can be contacted at (512) 252-0112.
* (Average wages compiled December 2006.)
FACT SHEET
Pflugerville Wal-Mart Supercenter
Store fast facts
- Location: 1548 FM 685, Pflugerville, Texas
- 203,819-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
- Store opening 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 14; 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony
- Store manager: Joe Cumpian
Store features
- Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products and fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, Celebrations Center, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, full line of electronics, a one-hour photo lab, a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, a Tire & Lube Express, a McDonald’s restaurant, an Images Hair Design salon, a Da-Vi Nails salon, a vision center, a family fun center, a Woodforest Bank branch and a Wal-Mart Connect Center.
- Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Sixteen full-service, eight express and four self check-out lanes
Charitable giving
$21,000 in charitable contributions to 11 area organizations
- Capitol Area Boy Scout Council
- City of Pflugerville Fire Department
- City of Pflugerville Police Department
- City of Pflugerville Public Library
- Humane Society of Austin and Travis County
- Lone Star Girl Scout Council
- Pflugerville Independent School District
- St. Elizabeth Catholic Church
- St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church Food Shelter
- United Service Organizations Inc.
- Williamson County Crisis Center
Employment
- Approximately 325 planned new jobs; more than 1,000 applicants
- Seven of the Pflugerville store’s associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years.
- Store Manager Joe Cumpian started his Wal-Mart career as an hourly associate in 1988, working in the receiving area at a store in Austin.
- The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in Texas is approximately $10.31 per hour.*
- Wal-Mart benefits – available to full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Both full and part-time Wal-Mart associates are eligible for health care benefits. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, performance-based bonuses, discounted stock purchase program and life insurance.
* Average wage taken December 2006. See www.walmartfacts.com for details.
Wal-Mart in Texas
As of February 2007, Wal-Mart employed 145,737 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in the state of Texas:
- Supercenters: 279
- Discount Stores: 50
- Neighborhood Markets: 30
- SAM’S CLUBS: 71
- Distribution Centers: 15
For more information
- Joe Cumpian, store manager, can provide details about the grand opening, offer quotes for interviews and arrange for photo opportunities or preview tours. He can be contacted at (512) 252-0112.
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