Wal-Mart Expands Services with Relocation to Supercenter

Savings, service and shopping convenience await Punta Gorda residents at the new Wal-Mart Supercenter scheduled to open at 7:30 a.m. Friday, March 7. More than 25 years after opening as a Wal-Mart discount store on Tamiami Trail, the store is relocating and expanding to bring residents a larger selection and expanded services. The new store is located at 5001 Taylor Road.

The new store’s Spanish-style tile roof and complementary color scheme may be the first noticeable difference customers visiting the new store will see. Store Manager David Cordial said it was important for the company to incorporate features reflective of the local community.

The store also features a daylight harvesting system, which uses skylights to refract daylight throughout the store and light sensors to monitor the amount of natural light available. Energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) refrigerated case lighting, and motion sensor-driven LED lights have been installed in the store’s frozen foods cases.

Expanded Merchandise Selection Increases Opportunities to Save
Additional new features include a complete grocery addition, an expanded Tire & Lube Express with service for recreational vehicles and a complete liquor store. According Cordial, the relocation gave them an additional 86,198 square feet and a multitude of products, services and conveniences for shoppers.

“Our customers have been anxious for our relocation for some time,” said Cordial. “I’m proud that the day has finally arrived and we have the opportunity to now serve them as a one-stop shopping destination.”

The store’s grocery department offers shoppers a wide selection of grocery necessities and a variety of prepared foods. Customers can choose from the fresh bakery with custom birthday cakes, an array of side dishes to compliment the freshly prepared meals in the delicatessen, a frozen food section, meat department, dairy and a selection of organic foods.

The new Supercenter brings additional conveniences including a pharmacy, a vision center, an expanded lawn and garden center, a one-hour photo lab, a Wal-Mart Connect Center for cellular phone sales and an expanded electronics and home entertainment department. Additionally, leased space and services include a SmartStyle Family Hair Salon, a Regal Nail Salon, a branch of Southern Commerce Bank and The Taco Maker restaurant. The store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The store’s updated pharmacy will have all prescription accounts from the former store on file by 7:30 a.m., grand opening morning according to Cordial. Customers will be able to utilize the former store’s pharmacy up to the evening prior to the new store’s opening. Wal-Mart’s $4 pricing on more than 350 covered generics will continue to be available.

New Jobs Added with Growth
Convenience and selection aren’t the only things expanding with the opening of the new Supercenter. According to Cordial the number of associates has also grown. The store plans to employ approximately 350 associates, 214 of which are new hires as a result of the relocation.

“This is an exciting time to be part of our associate team and have a role in our store’s growth” said Cordial. “The anticipation among our associates continues to build. They are excited to share our new products and services with the people of Punta Gorda,” he added. The average wage for full time hourly associates at Wal-Mart in Florida is $10.88 per hour.*