Relocated store showcases latest store design and layout
LAURENS, S.C., March 12, 2009 – A Walmart Super center opens this month in Laurens, with special touches inside and out, like wider aisles and new signage that local residents will appreciate. As one of Walmart’s newest designs, the store will feature enhanced services and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers than ever before. The Super center will open at 8 a.m., Wednesday, March 18.
Originally opened in 1988, the store has nearly doubled in size with the relocation, adding a full grocery department with a deli and bakery and expanding its merchandise selection. Located at 922 E. Main St., the Super center is now situated atop a hill, with a buffer of trees, landscaping and green space.
“The new Super center is a breath of fresh air into Laurens’ economy,” said Mayor Sharon Brownlee. “I am a firm believer that Walmart spurs continued development and other businesses are ready to follow in its footsteps. People from around the county will come to Laurens to do their shopping, and the store will be a big boost to our revenue base. I’m especially pleased that the new facility fits right in with the overall beautification efforts for our community, with its beautiful landscaping and green space.”
The Laurens store is one of two Walmart Supercenters opening in South Carolina March 18. The other is located in Union. They are among the first stores to feature the new Walmart logo.
Layout Improves Customer Experience
The 24-hour Supercenter is designed to make shopping easy for customers. The layout creates an open shopping environment with 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.
“In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh our stores, our merchandising and our customer experience,” said Store Manager Dorsey Thomas. “The improvements we’ve been making have all come together in our new store with faster service, a friendlier shopping experience and a cleaner store.”
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.
Super center Adds 140 Hometown Jobs
The Supercenter plans to employ approximately 320 associates, including approximately 140 new positions created by the relocation. Most of the positions will be full time, according to Thomas.
“Working for Walmart provides a number of job opportunities and choices for so many people, from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people just starting their work experience,” said Thomas. Like most Walmart store managers, he first joined the company as an hourly associate. Forty of the Laurens store’s associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years. Ten associates have worked at the store since it opened in 1988.
Community Organizations Benefit from Grand Opening Grants
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $10,000 in grants from the Wal-Mart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. Associates at the Laurens Supercenter selected United Ministries of Laurens to receive a $5,000 grant to support its food bank and other hunger relief efforts. Other recipients include the Hospice of Laurens County and Laurens Memorial Home for the Aged.
“In addition to grants from the Wal-Mart 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 Thomas. “We think of them as our partners and consider it a privilege to support the good work they do.”
Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The Laurens Supercenter, 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.
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. Rev. Ossie Deese from the Laurens Church of God will offer an invocation and the Color Guard from Clinton High School will present the colors. Local community leaders will join Thomas to cut the ribbon to the new store. Throughout the day, customers will be able to enjoy product samples and giveaways.
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