Walmart Expands to Bring One-Stop Shopping Convenience to Franklin CommunityFranklin store adds 150 jobs, offers full grocery department and added values FRANKLIN, Wis., July 13, 2010 – The newly expanded Walmart in Franklin is celebrating its grand opening this week, adding 150 jobs while giving local shoppers a glimpse of the company’s next generation of store design and customer experience. The results of a 19-month remodeling project will be unveiled at 8 a.m., Wednesday, July 14 with local dignitaries joining store co-manager Jessica Van Buren and store associates at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The newly expanded Franklin Walmart, located at 6701 S. 27th St., added a complete grocery department and renovated the store with a new layout, wider aisles, low-profile shelving, bright interior paint scheme, enhanced lighting and easy-to-read signage to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. According to Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor, the city of Franklin and Walmart were able to work together to produce a facility that will serve the people of southeastern Wisconsin for many years. “While Walmart was not necessarily required to remodel its new store to meet the very high architectural standards of the 27th Street Corridor, they did so voluntarily and as a result the area surrounding will be positively changed,” said Taylor. “Management chose to work in a spirit of cooperation with the City and to expend additional funds to significantly enhance their new center where thousands of people are already flocking to shop daily. It is my hope that many of the businesses near Walmart will follow Walmart's example and will choose these higher standards when considering remodeling initiatives,” added Taylor. Economic Impact Includes 150 New Jobs, Opportunities for Career AdvancementThe Franklin Walmart expansion added approximately 150 associate positions, according to Van Buren. She has been with the Franklin store for five years and started her Walmart career nine years ago as an hourly associate in the hardware department of the Whitewater store. “I am a true example of having a successful career with Walmart,” said Van Buren. “Now I can help provide opportunities for many new associates that live in this community,” she added. Of the current store associates, 15 have been with the store since it originally opened in 1991. Store Designed to Improve Customer ExperienceIn 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 Franklin Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores. The expanded Walmart features a more open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays and a new layout with time and money saving features. The expanded Franklin Walmart now features a refreshed, earth-toned façade complete with a new logo. Inside, customers will notice a bright interior color palette that 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 everyday necessities more quickly. Walmart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently, including moving the pet supplies next to the grocery department. The Franklin Walmart added 60,000-square feet to offer customers a full line of groceries, including a new deli offering freshly prepared meal solutions for busy people on-the-go, a meat department, fresh produce, and a dairy department, as well as a bakery featuring artisan breads and custom cakes. In addition, customers will appreciate the enhanced housewares department, a new roof covering the outdoor garden center and the eight newly added registers with touch screens for convenient checkout. The remodel brings Walmart customers an expanded electronics department that doubled in size and now featues a wide selection of the latest consumer electronics and home entertainment. The new design includes a more hands-on experience for customers with expansive video gaming selection and portable electronics. The interactive experience enables shoppers to test new technology. A new department called Celebration Station has been added and will feature party supplies, greeting cards, balloons and helium tanks, cake supplies and gift wrap. Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly FeaturesThe Franklin Walmart, like all new Walmart stores, includes 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 in the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. 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 also operates a recycling program and will promote sustainable product purchases. Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 8 a.m., July 14Community and business leaders including Franklin Mayor Thomas Taylor as well as members of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce will join Van Buren and Walmart associates at 8 a.m. Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. During the ceremony, store associates will present $5,000 grants from the Walmart Foundation to local organizations, including:
About WalmartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com. EDITOR'S NOTES
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