Monroeville Supercenter Adds Grocery and Expanded Merchandise Selection
Walmart Supercenter Brings 120 New Jobs to Monroeville MONROEVILLE, Ala., March 11, 2009 – The wait is over for residents in Monroe County eager to see their Walmart become a full Supercenter, bringing savings on a full line of groceries, expanded departments and a wide assortment of new products and services. The Supercenter, now located at 3371 S. Alabama Ave., will celebrate its grand opening with a brief ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday and open to customers at 8 a.m. “We are proud to help our community by saving families money, bringing area residents good jobs and having a positive economic impact,” said Store Manager David Moody. The new store will employ approximately 230 associates, including more than 120 new positions created by the relocation. More than 20 associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years. Ten associates have worked at the Monroeville store since it originally opened in 1990. Local leaders are excited about the new Supercenter and hope Walmart’s presence will attract other businesses to Monroeville. Mayor Mike Kennedy said, “I am excited about a Walmart Supercenter locating in our city. I believe this will help bring new shoppers to the area who will visit our local restaurants and other businesses. The store will also help attract new businesses to our community.” Supercenter Designed to Improve Customer Experience
Walmart began serving the Monroeville community in 1990 with a 51,985-square-foot store on Pike Street. With its relocation, the store gained more than 96,000 additional square feet and now features a full line of groceries. “Our relocation to a Supercenter allows us offer our customers additional savings on the products they need and want,” said Moody. “In addition to a full line of groceries, we’ve expanded our merchandise selection and added time-saving services.” The new store features wider aisles, enhanced service and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers than ever before. It will also be among the first new stores to feature the new Walmart logo and the latest in company’s store design. “In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh our stores, our merchandising and our customer experience,” said Moody. “The improvements we’ve been making have all come together in our newest stores such as this one in Monroeville, bringing customers faster service, a friendlier shopping experience and cleaner stores.” The store’s layout is designed to make shopping easier, including wider aisles that contain no product displays. Walmart also aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently. The pharmacy, for example, is adjacent to food making it easier for customers to pick up their prescriptions while shopping for their groceries. “The layout of the stores is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said Moody. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase including health and beauty and pet supplies, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.” Walmart also combined the customer service desk, site to store pick-up location and photo lab in one area near the entrance. Customers now have easy access to these services, as well as associates on hand to help meet their needs. Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The Monroeville Supercenter, like all new Walmartludes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. The store’s skylights harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. Part of the cement used in the concrete flooring is made with recycled materials, and the floor’s finish reduces the need for chemical cleaners. Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms. Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
The newly relocated Supercenter is continuing its support of the area by giving $15,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to local organizations. That support includes a $5,000 grant to the Monroe County Commission for its food bank and other hunger-relief efforts. Recipients of $2,500 grants are the City of Monroeville, Monroe County Public Library, Monroe Health Foundation and Monroeville Area YMCA. The city will use its grant for televisions and other equipment in its storm shelter and senior center, and the Health Foundation will use its funding to purchase educational materials and equipment. Thanks to the grants, the Library plans to add to its collection of children’s literature, and the YMCA will be able to offer scholarships for low-income families to participate in its programs. “In addition to grants from the Walmart Foundation, we’ve supported these agencies and other community charitable efforts for years by hosting fundraisers, providing volunteers, and giving in-kind merchandise donations,” said Moody. “We think of them as our partners and consider it a privilege to support the good work they do in our community.” Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 7:30 a.m., March 18
Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Frye-Children will perform the national anthem and a color guard from the National Guard will present the colors. Long-term Walmart associates will join Moody to cut the ribbon to the new store. Customers will be also able to enjoy character appearances, product samples and giveaways throughout the day. About Walmart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, millions of customers visit Walmart 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 Stores, Inc. (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 $296 million to local communities in the United States. More information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com. EDITOR’S NOTES - An invitation-only open house for grant recipients and other VIPs is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. It will include preview tours and check presentations to representatives of community organizations. Reporters and photographers are welcome.
- Store Manager David Moody is available for interviews and to arrange photo opportunities or tours. He can be reached at 251-575-3333. The temporary number to the new Supercenter prior to its opening is 251-575-1120.
FACT SHEET
Monroeville Walmart Supercenter Store facts - Location: 3371 S. Alabama Ave., Monroeville, Ala.
- Originally opened in 1990 at 465 Pike St.
- 148,796-square-foot Walmart Supercenter, gaining an additional 96,811 square feet
- Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
- Store manager: David Moody
Store features - Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, beer and wine.
- More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and a full line of electronics
- Convenience services include a pharmacy, digital photo processing center and Walmart Connect Center
- Leased areas and services include a Subway restaurant, SmartStyle Family Hair Care salon and a branch of Woodforest National Bank.
- Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week
Charitable giving
$15,000 in charitable contributions to the following area organizations - City of Monroeville
- Monroe County Commission
- Monroe County Public Library
- Monroe Health Foundation
- Monroeville Area YMCA
Employment - The new store plans to employ approximately 230 associates, including 120 positions created by the relocation.
- Twenty of the store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years.
- Ten associates have worked at the Monroeville store since it originally opened in 1990.
- The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Alabama is approximately $11.11 per hour*
- Walmart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include health insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, company performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance
* Average wage taken February 2009. See www.walmartstores.com for details. For more information - Store manager: David Moody, 251-575-3333. (The temporary number to the new Supercenter prior to its opening is 251-575-1120.)
- Walmart information online: www.walmartstores.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
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