Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. : Walmart Opens Missouri's First Neighborhood Market on Republic Road

New store offers customers savings with grocery format

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 16, 2012 - Walmart opened its first Walmart Neighborhood Market in Missouri, Wednesday, May 16, with a 41,000-square-foot store designed to offer quick access to low-cost groceries, prescriptions and household products. Doors to the new store, located at 3150 W. Republic Road, opened at 8 a.m., Wednesday, May 16, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. A second Walmart Neighborhood Market opens May 25 on South Glenstone Ave.

Local leaders are excited about Walmart opening new stores in Springfield. "I wish to welcome the two new Walmart Neighborhood Market stores to Springfield," said Jerry Compton, Zone 3 Councilman, City of Springfield. "Both stores will provide another option for the nearby neighborhoods at a time when the cost of driving has risen dramatically."

Fresh Foods and Familiar Brands

Designed as a convenient family shopping center, the Walmart Neighborhood Market will provide the local community another destination for groceries at the Walmart value price. The store will carry a full line of groceries, including fresh produce, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, organic items, liquor, and beer and wine. For those on the go, the deli offers hot rotisserie chicken, grab-n-go sandwiches and pizza by the slice. Customers can pick up cakes and freshly made breads from the bakery.

"With our smaller format, our store is perfect for those on the go," said store manager Jamie Dahmer. "Whether they're stocking up or need to pick up just a few items, our customers will be able to find what they need quickly and easily. Our customers will be able to find familiar brands and local products at great values, right in their own neighborhood."

Shoppers will also appreciate the convenience of the store's pharmacy, complete with a drive-thru lane, along with a full selection of health-related products, and a health and beauty area. Additional areas include stationery, paper goods, pet products and hardware items. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store. The store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Store Provides 80 Local Jobs

The Walmart Neighborhood Market plans to employ approximately 80 associates. Several associates have transferred to the new store from existing Walmart locations, including one associate who has worked for the company for 25 years.

"Walmart provides job opportunities and career choices for everyone from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people wanting to gain work experience," Dahmer said. Like most Walmart store managers, she started her career with Walmart as an hourly associate. Dahmer, a Springfield native, joined the company in 1996, working as a cashier at a store in Ava.

Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants

As part of Walmart's commitment to the communities in which it operates, more than $10,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. Grant recipients include the ALS Association - Keith Worthington Chapter, Battlefield Fire Protection, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks, David Harrison Elementary, Habitat for Humanity, Make-A-Wish Foundation, March of Dimes, Mercy Health Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Ozarks Food Harvest, Parkview High School, Ronald McDonald House and School District of Springfield R-12.

Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 7:30 a.m., May 16

Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 16, for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Aosea Bilyeu, pastor of Ridge Crest Baptist Church, will offer an invocation, and Jacob Prince, all-star tenor from Parkview High School, will perform the national anthem. Dahmer and other associates 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 10,000 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity.http://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

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