Walmart Brings Savings and Convenience to Huntley
New store provides 375 jobs, $22,500 in local grants HUNTLEY, Ill., April 23, 2009 – The new Huntley Walmart brings hundreds of jobs and Walmart’s unbeatable prices on a full line of groceries and general merchandise to a convenient location in the Huntley Grove Shopping Center. Located at 12300 Route 47 the store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, April 29 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., and will celebrate the grand opening with $22,500 in grants to support local organizations. The Huntley Walmart will employ approximately 375 associates. Most of the positions will be full time, according to Store Manager Thomas Pearse. “Joining Walmart was a great career decision for me, as it has been for so many of my fellow associates,” Pearse said. “Many associates joined because they know they have the opportunity for a long-lasting career at Walmart.” Like most Walmart store managers, Pearse started his career with the company as an hourly associate. In 1992, he joined the company as a part-time associate at a store in Osage Beach, Mo. Approximately 30 of the Huntley store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years. Store Designed to Improve Customer Experience
In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandising and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores, such as the Huntley Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores. The new Huntley Walmart features wide aisles, enhanced service and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. Walmart 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 store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said Pearse. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase including health and beauty and pet products, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.” Walmart customers will find savings in the store’s extensive electronics department featuring a wide selection of the latest consumer electronics and home entertainment. The store design includes a more hands-on experience for customers with interactive displays for hi-definition Blu-ray, video gaming and portable electronics. The interactive experience makes it easier for shoppers to test new technology including laptops, cameras, phones and GPS units before they purchase. A bright interior color palette creates an inviting shopping experience and helps define the store’s merchandise areas. Lower shelving creates an improved sightline and directional signage on every aisle helps customers find what they are looking for quickly. 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. Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $22,500 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand opening celebration. Associates at the Huntley store selected the Grafton Township Food Pantry to receive a $5,000 grant to help with area hunger-relief efforts. Seven other organizations will each receive a $2,500 grant including: Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, Light Center Foundation, Huntley Park Foundation, Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Rockford, Home of the Sparrow, Talk About Curing Autism and Operation Cool. Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The Huntley Walmart, 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. The new store will also promote sustainable product purchases, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs.
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 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 28. It will include preview tours and check presentations to representatives of community organizations. Reporters and photographers are welcome.
- Store Manager Thomas Pearse is available for interviews and to arrange photo opportunities or tours. He can be reached at 847-669-7126.
FACT SHEET
Huntley Walmart Store facts - Location: 12300 Rte. 47, Huntley, Ill.
- 176,350-square-foot Walmart
- Store opens at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, following a 7 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
- Store manager: Thomas Pearse
- Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Store features - Full line of groceries including a bakery, deli, meat and dairy products, fresh produce and liquor
- More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and a full line of electronics
- Convenience services include a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, digital photo processing center, Gameplay arcade and a Walmart Connect Center
- Leased areas and services include a Subway restaurant, a SmartStyle family hair salon and a branch of Woodforest Bank.
Charitable giving - $22,500 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to the following area organizations
- Grafton Township Food Pantry
- Home of the Sparrow
- Huntley Park Foundation
- Illinois Fire Safety Alliance
- Light Center Foundation
- Operation Cool
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Rockford Diocese
- Talk About Curing Autism
Employment - Store plans to employ approximately 375 associates.
- The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Illinois is approximately $11.70 per hour.*
- Store Manager Thomas Pearse began his Walmart career in 1992 as a part-time hourly associate in Osage Beach, Mo.
- 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. Walmart in Illinois - As of April, Walmart employed 52,183 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in Illinois:
- Walmarts: 90
- Discount Stores: 57
- Sam’s Clubs: 29
- Distribution Centers: 5
See www.walmartfacts.com for more information about Walmart in Illinois. For more information
• Store manager: Thomas Pearse, 847-669-7126
• Walmart information online: www.walmartstores.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com # # #
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