Excitement Escalates for Shoppers in New Haven
Expanded Wal-Mart Supercenter to offer low prices, jobs and added shopping conveniences
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 18, 2007 – The countdown is on for area college students, moms-on-the-run and those working 12-hour shifts. The first Wal-Mart Supercenter in New Haven opens Wednesday, Oct. 24, and the combination of low prices and convenience has customers eager to see the expanded store and its wide selection of merchandise. The Supercenter, located at 315 Foxon Blvd. directly off of Interstate 91, will officially open at 7 a.m.
“We are excited to show off our newly expanded store, especially our large grocery selection,” says Store Manager Robert Moriarty. “Our customers will finally get the opportunity to purchase hot meals in the delicatessen and fresh fruits and vegetables at affordable prices.”
Growing more than 30,000 square feet to 163,000 square feet, the New Haven Supercenter’s grocery line will now include bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, and fresh produce. The store will offer apparel and accessories, toys, books, an infant section, fine jewelry, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, an expanded electronics department, sporting goods, a vision center, a pharmacy, a one-hour photo lab and a Wal-Mart Connect Center. The store also has leased space featuring a Subway restaurant.
In order to make the shopping experience easier, the Supercenter now has wider aisles, lowered shelving, easy-to-read signage and an updated departmental color scheme. The apparel departments have wood laminate flooring and wood display features, and the exterior of the store has also had a facelift, showcasing dark tan and beige paint with blue signage.
“We have something for everyone,” says Moriarty. “We have such a diverse customer base and I feel confident all of our customers will be thrilled with our new look and product mix.”
Tradition of Customer Savings
New Haven shoppers will not only notice the wide selection of products, but the price savings as well. By continuously rolling back prices, the Supercenter will benefit shoppers as the holiday season draws near and beyond.
“We are proud of the fact that this store will allow consumers throughout the New Haven area to keep more of their money in their own pockets,” says Moriarty. “Our associates know they are playing a role in helping our customers lead better lives because of the money they will save at our store.”
New research from Global Insight released last month shows Wal-Mart now saves American families $2,500 each year, up 7.3 percent from 2004. A part of those savings are due to Wal-Mart’s $4 prescription drug plan which is available at the New Haven store. Since launching the $4 prescription drug plan in September 2006, Wal-Mart customers in Connecticut have saved more than $2.83 million.
Wal-Mart to Benefit Community
The benefits of the New Haven store are not limited to selection and low prices. The Supercenter also plans to hire approximately 300 new associates, bringing the total employment figure to 480 associates.
“I am thrilled to see the pride that our associates have in this new store, and to see the number of people wanting to join our team,” says Moriarty. “In fact, 92 associates at this Supercenter were here when the Wal-Mart discount store debuted in 2004. For those 92 to witness the expansion taking place is especially gratifying,” adds Moriarty. He started as an hourly associate in 2001 at the Wal-Mart discount store in Old Saybrook.
Wal-Mart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, business performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance.
New jobs are always a mark of Wal-Mart’s growth in communities throughout the country. Distributing community grants is also a long-standing tradition to mark a new store’s milestone. In recognition of the New Haven grand opening, the store will disburse $25,000 in charitable contributions to local organizations, including $5,000 grants to Gateway Community College, the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut and the Riverside Educational Academy. Editor’s note: For a full listing of grant recipients, please see the facts sheet on page three of this press release.
“Wal-Mart has been a wonderful, ongoing supporter of the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut and our mission of being a home away from home for families of children in the hospital,” says Michael Rohde, director of development for the House. “We appreciate Wal-Mart’s generosity to support our guest families.” The local Ronald McDonald House serves more than 500 families each year.
Wal-Mart Economic Impact in Connecticut
Click here for more information about Wal-Mart in Connecticut.
As of September 2007, Wal-Mart employed 9,801 associates and owned and operated four Supercenters, 30 Discount Stores and three Sam’s Clubs in the state.
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 $270 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 is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m. Preview tours will be provided. Checks will be presented to representatives of the community organizations this evening. Reporters and photographers are welcome.
• Robert Moriarty, 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 203-467-7509.
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
FACT SHEET
New Haven Wal-Mart Supercenter
Store fast facts
• Location: 315 Foxon Blvd., New Haven, Conn.
• Originally opened in 2004
• 163,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, gaining an additional 30,000 square feet
• Grand opening of expanded store Wednesday, Oct. 24; 7 a.m. grand opening ceremony
• Store manager: Robert Moriarty
Charitable giving
$25,000 in charitable contributions will be provided to several area organizations including:
• City of New Haven Department of Elderly Services
• City of New Haven Department of Health
• Columbus House
• East Haven Animal Shelter
• East Haven High School Yellow Jacket Athletic Club
• Gateway Community College
• Resources Outreach Center
• Riverside Educational Academy
• Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut
• Wilbur Cross High School
• Yale University Art Gallery
Store features
• Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, apparel and accessories, toys, books, infant section, fine jewelry, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, expanded electronics, sporting goods, vision center, pharmacy, one-hour photo lab, Wal-Mart Connect Center; leased services include a Subway restaurant
• Seventeen full-service and 12 express check-out lanes
• Open daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Employment
• Total employment expected to be approximately 480 associates, including 300 planned new jobs.
• More than 3,000 applications have been received for jobs at the expanded store.
• Store Manager Robert Moriarty began his Wal-Mart career as an hourly associate in Old Saybrook in 2001.
• Ninety-two associates at the New Haven Supercenter have worked at the store since its original grand opening three years ago.
• The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in Connecticut is $11.74 per hour.*
• Wal-Mart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, business performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance.
* Average wage taken August 2007. See www.walmartfacts.com for details.
For more information
• Store manager: Robert Moriarty, 203-467-7509
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
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