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First Grocery Store Opens in Flowing Wells


WEBWIRE

Neighborhood Market brings groceries and convenience to revitalized neighborhood

TUCSON, Ariz., July 2008 – Flowing Wells residents will soon enjoy convenient grocery shopping when the new Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market opens July 23. The store will bring a full selection of groceries to a neighborhood that, until now, did not have a local grocery store. The new store is located at 2175 Ruthrauff Road.

“Our community is very excited about this new Neighborhood Market,” said Ellie Towne, president of the Flowing Wells Neighborhood Association and Community Coalition. “This store will help people in many ways by providing a convenient, local place for them to shop for affordable groceries and prescriptions, something that is especially important to the senior citizens who live here. We are glad that Wal-Mart has chosen to be a part of Flowing Wells’ revitalization efforts, and we welcome this store to our neighborhood.”

Since it was designated as a revitalization area by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Flowing Wells neighborhood has undergone a period of economic and community development in recent years that has brought a host of new amenities to the area including a new medical center, a community center and a library.

“Wal-Mart is proud to be a part of the Flowing Wells neighborhood,” said Store Manager Martin Salmeron. “Thanks to the efforts of Ellie Towne and other local leaders, this area is becoming a thriving community, and we are looking forward to being a part of it.”

First Full Grocery Store in Flowing Wells
Customers will be able to choose from a full line of groceries, including produce, deli and bakery items, meat and frozen foods. Reflecting the diversity of the Flowing Wells neighborhood, the store will also carry a large selection of Hispanic, Asian and kosher products. In addition to groceries, customers can shop for household cleaning products and health and beauty aids, and cosmetics will be displayed on distinctive curved counters.

A photo kiosk and a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes will also be available. The pharmacy will offer Wal-Mart’s expanded $4 prescription program to help local residents save money on their healthcare needs. The $4 prescriptions are now available for most commonly treated medical conditions.

The store is located along two bus routes and within walking distance from the neighborhoods in the area, making it a convenient location for shoppers and new associates alike.

Store Opening Brings 120 New Jobs
Approximately 120 new jobs were created by the store’s opening. The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is $10.83 per hour.*

“My own experience is a great example of the types of careers available for people who work at Wal-Mart,” he said. “I began my Wal-Mart career 11 years ago as a cashier at the Valencia Supercenter in Tucson, and now I am managing this new store.”

Eligible full- and part-time associates at Wal-Mart can take advantage of Wal-Mart benefits, which include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart 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.

Grand Opening Grants Support New Community Services
In celebration of the grand opening, a total of $18,000 in grants from the Wal-Mart Foundation will be distributed to community groups. Several of the grants will be given to organizations that are part of Flowing Wells’ revitalization efforts including the new Flowing Wells Branch Library and the St. Elizabeth’s Health Center.

A grant is also being given to the Flowing Wells School District to help fund a backpack program that provides elementary school children in need with food after school and on weekends.

Environmentally Friendly Features Save Water and Energy
In dry areas such as Tucson where water conservation is crucial, the environmentally friendly techniques that are used to construct new Wal-Mart stores can make a real difference. For example, water flow and consumption are monitored in the sinks and in high-efficiency toilets and urinals.

The non-sales areas of the store have LED lights and sensors that automatically shut off the lights when those areas are unoccupied. LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting. The new store is also committed to offering products that are affordable and sustainable.

Activities Planned for Grand Opening Day
Grand opening activities will begin July 23 at 7:30 a.m. with a brief ceremony. Members of the Flowing Wells High School Choir will perform the national anthem, and Pastor Keith Huffman from the Flowing Wells Baptist Church will lead the invocation. The colors will be presented by members of Boy Scout Troop #221, and Salmeron and other Wal-Mart representatives and local officials will cut the ribbon to the new store.



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