Redding Walmart Adds Full Line of Groceries

Expanded store now employs approximately 400 associates

REDDING, Calif. - The wait is over for residents in Redding eager to see their local Walmart bring savings on a full line of groceries and a wide assortment of new products and services. The store’s expansion brings 85 new jobs to the community, and the Walmart has been redesigned to make shopping easy for customers. The store will unveil the new expansion to customers at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 12 after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“We have a loyal customer base and some have been shopping here since our original opening in 1997,” said store manager Mike Black. “We think they’ll love the new, easy-to-shop layout of the store and appreciate the savings we offer on the products they need.”

Originally opened in 1997, the store is located at 1515 Dana Drive, near the Friendly Road exit from State Highway 44. With its expansion, the store has added 92,000 square feet.

Local leaders are excited about the store’s expansion. “Walmart is a good local citizen and an important part of Redding’s business community. We value its positive contributions to our area with jobs, sales tax revenue and employee volunteers,” said Frank J. Strazzarino Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Greater Redding Chamber of Commerce.

New Layout Improves Customer Experience
Designed as a convenient family shopping center, the 220,500-square-foot store will provide the local community another destination for groceries at the Walmart value price. The store has added a full line of groceries, including fresh produce, frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items. For those on the go, the deli offers hot rotisserie chicken, fried chicken and a wide variety of meats, cheeses and freshly prepared foods. Customers can pick up cakes, freshly made pastries and breads in the bakery. The store has expanded its selection of wine and added liquor.

The garden center has nearly doubled in size and now offers drive-through service for customers picking up outdoor furniture, grills, plants and gardening supplies. Customers now have access to a branch of Tri Counties Bank and a SmartStyle Family Hair Care salon. The McDonalds restaurant located at the front of the store has also expanded with additional seating and more menu options.

The 24-hour Redding Walmart also features a new layout and updated design. In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandise and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores with faster service, a friendlier shopping experience and cleaner stores.

Among the changes, Walmart has combined the Site-to-Store pick-up location and photo processing center into a single area near the courtesy desk at the front of the store. Customers now have ready access to these services as well as associates who can provide assistance as needed.

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save customers time as they shop for everyday necessities at our unbeatable prices,” said Black. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

The new layout creates an open shopping environment with wider aisles that contain no product displays. Lower shelving throughout the store creates an improved sightline and directional signage on every aisle helps customers find what they are looking for quickly.

Expanded Walmart Adds 85 New Jobs
The store plans to employ approximately 400 associates, including approximately 85 positions created by the expansion. Approximately 89 associates have worked for Walmart for longer than 10 years, including 24 who have worked at the Redding store since it opened in 1997.

Black began his Walmart career in 1984 at a store in Denison, Texas. “Joining Walmart was a great career decision for me, as it has been for so many of my fellow associates,” Black said. “I am proud to work for this company where there are unlimited opportunities and to bring those opportunities to our community and neighbors.”

Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The Redding store, 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 8 a.m., May 12
Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 8 a.m. Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. As part of the festivities, the store will recognize several local organizations that received grants totaling $40,000 in 2009 from the Walmart Foundation, including Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Heart Association and the National Society to Prevent Blindness. Associates also will announce new grants totaling $2,750 that were given in the first quarter of 2010. Recipients include the local office of the Arthritis Foundation, Soroptimist International of Redding, Friends for Survival Inc. and Northwoods Discovery School.

“In addition to grants from the Walmart 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 Black. “We think of them as our partners and consider it a privilege to support the good work they do.”

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), or “Walmart,” serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,400 retail units under 55 different banners in 15 countries. With fiscal year 2010 sales of $405 billion, Walmart employs more than 2.0 million associates worldwide. A leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity, Walmart ranked first among retailers in Fortune Magazine’s 2009 Most Admired Companies survey. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting www.walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/Walmartnews. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com and www.samsclub.com.

FACT SHEET
Redding Walmart

Store facts

* Location: 1515 Dana Drive, Redding, Calif.
* 220,500-square-foot Walmart, gaining an additional 92,000 square feet
* A ribbon-cutting and grant presentation ceremony will be held at 8 a.m., Wednesday, May 12
* Store manager: Mike Black
* Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Store features

* Full line of groceries including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for moms, meat and dairy products and fresh produce. The store also sells beer, wine and liquor.
* More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids and an expanded electronics department
* Convenience services include a pharmacy, a Tire & Lube Express, Walmart Vision Center, digital photo processing center, Walmart MoneyCenter and Walmart Connect Center
* Leased areas and services include a McDonald’s restaurant, portrait studio, SmartStyle Family Hair Care salon and a branch of Tri Counties Bank.

Employment

* Store plans to employ approximately 400 associates, including approximately 85 positions added by the expansion.
* Approximately 89 associates have worked for Walmart for longer than 10 years.
* Twenty-four associates have worked at the store since it opened in 1997.
* The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in California is approximately $12.10 per hour*
* Walmart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include health insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart 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

* Average wage taken March 2010. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

For More Information

* Store manager Mike Black is available for interviews and to arrange photo opportunities or tours. He can be reached at 530-221-2800.
* Walmart PR and Brand Reputation, 800-331-0085.
* Walmart information online: www.walmartstores.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com

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Editor’s Note: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the legal trade name of the corporation. The name “Walmart,” expressed as one word and without punctuation, is a trademark of the company and is used analogously to describe the company and its stores. Use the trade name when it is necessary to identify the legal entity, such as when reporting financial results, litigation or corporate governance.