WAL-MART STORES : Grundy Walmart Welcomes Shoppers to New Store

New Walmart provides 200 jobs

GRUNDY, Va., Sept. 1, 2011 – A new Walmart opens this month in Grundy, bringing 200 new jobs, savings for local shoppers and an increase in tax revenue to support the area’s economy. Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer’s ongoing charitable contributions and support for community projects. The Walmart, located at 1179 Riverview St., will be open to customers at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 14.

The new Grundy Walmart will employ approximately 200 associates, according to store manager Ronnie Clemins. Clemins is a West Virginia native who began his Walmart career in 1996 as an hourly associate at a store in Bluefield, Va.

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 Grundy Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores.

The new 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 Clemins. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, including health and beauty and pet supplies, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

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.

As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $14,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. The following organizations will each receive $1,000 to support programs that serve the community: Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, Grundy Volunteer Fire Department, The Town of Grundy Police Department, and Youth Outreach of Buchanan County. The 29th CASA Program and Mountain Mission School will each receive $4,000, and Southern Youth in Action will receive $2,000.

The Grundy 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.

Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 7 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 14 for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Grundy High School student Becky Stilner will perform the national anthem, and members of a local Boy Scouts of America troop will present the colors. Clemins, Grundy Mayor Diane Blankenship, former Mayor Roger Powers and the President of the IDA Ken Potter will cut the ribbon to the new store.

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.