Commack Shoppers Welcome Convenience, Selection and Amenities Upon Grand Opening Monday, Jan. 22Store to support Operation Homefront and local groups with $37,500 in donations
COMMACK, N.Y., Jan. 10, 2007 –Conveniently located in Crooked Hill Commons, Wal-Mart opens Monday, Jan. 22. After a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony, associates will welcome shoppers at 7 a.m. Located at 85 Crooked Hill Road, the store opens with enhanced store features and an outpouring of support for community causes including a $5,000 donation to Operation Homefront, a nonprofit group that supports U.S. troops and their families. “We are so grateful to Wal-Mart. This donation is our single largest monetary donation to date,” said the New York and New Jersey Operation Homefront Chapter Founder and President Anne Neuberger. “Our chapter serves bases in New York and New Jersey as well as our National Guard. Having the support of Wal-Mart will enable us to better serve families with emergency aid and morale programs,” added Neuberger. Wal-Mart continues to be a large corporate supporter of military families and honors those who serve. This month, Wal-Mart is donating a quarter of a million dollars to support military families and veterans groups through store opening grants across the United States. “Our associates are so proud to be able to give back to an organization that provides emergency support and programs that lift the spirits of deployed soldiers and their families,” Store Manager Ted Wicks said. “Virtually all of our associates have known or currently know someone serving our country. We honor and respect our soldiers and know that our donation will help Operation Homefront continue their good work.” In addition to Operation Homefront, the Commack Fire Department is among the organizations receiving a total of $37,500 in grants. “Our fire department responds to more than 1,000 emergencies each year including commercial and residential fires, traffic accidents and carbon monoxide calls. We will use our grant to purchase much needed safety equipment for our firefighters,” Chief Salvatore Formica said. “In 2006, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of our fire department. We look forward to partnering with Wal-Mart for the next 100 years,” added Formica. The Commack store will also have a budget to give donations away locally throughout the year. Organizations interested in funding can contact the store for details. (Please see page three for a full listing of grant recipients.) Commack Residents Anticipate Seeing Enhanced Store Features Grand opening shoppers will be the first to explore the new 142,732-square-foot store featuring many appealing elements that Wal-Mart is introducing in new stores, including earth tone colors, concrete and wood flooring throughout the store, wider aisles and energy-efficient lighting. Shoppers will appreciate the store’s new and expanded home trends area, featuring Wal-Mart’s first celebrity home line with Colin Cowie’s debut collection of beverage, dinnerware and serving pieces, as well as textiles and other home décor items. The apparel departments include Wal-Mart’s fashion-forward collection, Metro 7, as well as the popular apparel line, George for men, women and youth. The store boasts an expanded home entertainment and electronics department showcasing iPod’s, the latest DVD players as well as high-definition and plasma TVs. The store will also feature general merchandise departments including health and beauty aids, an infant section, toys, fabric and crafts, shoes, jewelry and a garden center. For added convenience, the store offers a Tire & Lube Express, a Subway restaurant, a vision center, a pharmacy, a one-hour photo lab and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales. The store will be open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week and will include 12 full-service, six express and four self check-out lanes. Celebration Begins the Evening Before; Sunday, Jan. 21 At a special VIP pre-opening celebration Sunday evening, associates and special guests will enjoy preview tours of the new store and a special performance by the Commack High School Cougarettes. The Cougarettes represented Commack in the 2006 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and are also Wal-Mart grant recipients. Danielle Tavaris will perform the national anthem at the VIP celebration. The highlight of the ceremony will be the presentation of $37,500 to community organizations this evening. Special note: Reporters and photographers are encouraged to attend the VIP celebration scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. There will preview tours and photo opportunities with grant recipients on this evening. Career Opportunities for Associates Upon opening, the new store plans to employ more than 287 associates. More than 148 associates had been hired as of Dec. 7. According to Wicks, two associates at the Commack store have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years. “We know this community welcomes not only the Wal-Mart shopping experience, but the good jobs, benefits and great career opportunities at Wal-Mart they have heard about,” Wicks said. More than three-fourths of Wal-Mart store managers started as hourly associates. The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in New York is $10.17 per hour.* Wal-Mart Economic Impact in New York As of December 2006, Wal-Mart employed 35,815 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in the state of New York:
About Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) Every week, more than 176 million customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, Sam’s Clubs or a subsidiary location in 15 countries around the world. In each of the countries where Wal-Mart operates, the company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of operating globally and 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 these local communities. EDITOR’S NOTES
FACT SHEET
Commack Wal-Mart Store fast facts
$37,500 in charitable contributions will be provided to several area organizations including:
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