March 10, 2009 – Walmart’s 19-year commitment to Beardstown will hit a new milestone this month when the retailer opens the community’s first Supercenter. With nearly 100,000 square feet and 150 associates, the Super center, newly relocated to 100 Lincoln Ave., includes a full line of groceries, expanded merchandise selections and a variety of time-saving services. Doors to the Super center open at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. As part of the festivities, associates will hand out $10,000 in grants to local food banks.
“We’ve been proud to serve the Beardstown community since we opened in 1990,” Store Manager Jenny Coad said. “Our relocated and expanded store brings new jobs to our community and additional savings that our customers count on, especially in these tough economic times.”
The Beardstown Super center will not only save shoppers time and money, but also will strengthen the city’s economy by adding to the tax base.
“I believe everyone in the area is eagerly awaiting the opening of the new store,” said Mayor Bob Walters. “The store will offer new jobs and career opportunities for area residents, as well as a new grocery department and expanded selection of merchandise for consumers. It will increase revenue for our city and our schools. We anticipate that Walmart will serve as an anchor store for future economic growth in the immediate area. These are extremely important factors given today’s economic climate.”
The Beardstown store is one of two Walmart Super centers opening in Illinois March 18. The other is located in Orland Hills. Walmart is opening 10 Supercenters across the country in March. They are among the first stores to feature the new Walmart logo and store design. Last June, Walmart announced that U.S. locations would update store logos as part of an ongoing evolution of its overall brand.
One-Stop Shopping Close to Home
The 98,695-square-foot Super center is designed as a convenient one-stop family shopping center, featuring a full line of groceries as well as a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections. Merchandise areas include apparel and accessories, sporting goods, electronics, home, fine jewelry and health and beauty, all at unbeatable prices.
“At Walmart, we're committed to saving people money so they can live better,” Coad said. “In today's economy, our customers are looking to us to be an advocate and find solutions that save them money on their groceries and other products that their families need.”
New Layout Improves Customer Experience
The Super center is designed to make shopping easy for customers. The new store features wider aisles, enhanced service and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers than ever before. Walmart also aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently.
The layout creates an open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays. Lower shelving creates an improved sightline and directional signage on every aisle helps customers find what they are looking for quickly. A bright interior color palette creates an inviting shopping experience and helps define the store’s merchandise areas.
Walmart also combined the customer service desk and site to store pick-up location 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.
“In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh our stores, our merchandising and our customer experience,” said Coad. “The improvements we’ve been making have all come together in our new store.”
Store’s Expansion Brings 50 New Jobs
The Supercenter plans to employ approximately 150 associates, including approximately 50 new positions created by the relocation.
“I’m happy to be a part of this relocation, as we now have the opportunity to provide additional jobs and career opportunities to the community,” Coad said. Like most Walmart store managers, she started her career with Walmart as an hourly associate. She joined the company in 1983, working as a sales clerk at a store in Jacksonville. She is one of 29 of the Beardstown store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years. Twelve associates have worked at the store since its original opening in 1990.
Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The Beardstown Super center, 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 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.
Food Banks Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $10,000 in grants from the WalMart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. Associates selected three local food banks to receive grants to support their hunger-relief efforts. Recipients include Cass County Health Department Food Basket, Schuyler County Food Basket and the Two Rivers Council Foundation. “With these grand-opening grants, we wanted to support agencies that help families through hard times and contribute to a higher quality of life in our community,” Coad said.
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. Walmart associate Linda Williams will perform the national anthem and members of the local post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will present the colors. Local community leaders will join Coad to cut the ribbon to the new store. Throughout the day, customers will be able to enjoy character appearances, product samples and giveaways.
About WalMart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Every week, millions of customers visit Walmart Stores, super centers, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. WalMart (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.
EDITORS’ NOTE
• An invitation-only open house for grant recipients and other VIPs is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, March 16. It will include preview tours and check presentations to representatives of community organizations. Reporters and photographers are welcome.
FACT SHEET
Beardstown Walmart Supercenter
Store facts
* Location: 100 Lincoln Ave., Beardstown, Ill.
* Originally opened in 1990 at 61 Plaza Dr.
* 98,695-square-foot Walmart Supercenter, gaining an additional 44,000 square feet
* Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 18, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
* Store manager: Jenny Coad
Store features
* Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce
* 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
* Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday through Saturday.
Charitable giving
$10,000 in charitable contributions to the following area organizations:
* Cass County Health Department Food Basket
* Schuyler County Food Basket
* Two Rivers Council Foundation
Employment
* Store plans to employ approximately 150 associates, including approximately 50 positions created by the relocation.
* Twenty-nine of the store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years.
* Twelve associates have worked at the Beardstown store since it originally opened in 1990.
* Store manager Jenny Coad started her career with Walmart as an hourly associate in 1983, working as a sales clerk at a store in Jacksonville.
* The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Illinois is approximately $11.67 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.
WalMart in Illinois
As of February, WalMart employed 50,595 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in Illinois:
* Supercenters: 90
* Discount Stores: 57
* Sam’s Clubs: 29
* Distribution Centers: 5
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