New 24/7 Wal-Mart is now open

The Michigan Soo's new 24-hour Wal-Mart officially opened at 8 a.m. today.

Here's the official news release:

************************* Sault Ste. Marie community welcomes new Wal-Mart

Newly relocated Wal-Mart provides 175 new jobs, $22,000 in local grants

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – A new Wal-Mart opened today in Sault Ste. Marie, bringing approximately 175 planned 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 Wal-Mart, newly located at 3763 I-75 Business Spur, opened to customers at 8 a.m.

Store designed to improve customer sxperience

In recent months, Wal-

The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores, such as the Sault Ste. Marie Wal-Mart.

The new Wal-Mart features wide aisles, enhanced services and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers.

Wal-Mart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently.

The pharmacy, for example, is adjacent to the new bakery, deli and produce departments 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 Store Manager Deb LaRue. “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.

Customers will immediately notice the expanded electronics department along the back wall, which also includes the digital photo lab and Wal-Mart Connect Center for cellular phones.

Wal-Mart also combined the customer service desk and the site to store pick-up location all 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.

Approximately 175 new jobs were created as a result of the relocation.

Fifty-four of the store’s associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years.

Store Manager Deb La Rue started as an hourly associate at the Sault Ste. Marie store when it originally opened in 1992, along with 21 other associates.

Community organizations benefit from grand-opening grants

As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $22,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration.

The following organizations will each receive funds to support programs that serve the community: Second Harvest, Bayliss Public Library, Habitat for Humanity, EUP Learning Center, Northern Transitions, Diane Peppler Resource Center, Chippewa-Luce-Mackinac Community Action, Consolidated Community Schools, Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie Theater Project, Boys and Girls Club of Bay Mills and Hospice Care of Chippewa County.

Store design incorporates environmentally friendly features

The Sault Ste. Marie Wal-Mart, like all new Wal-Mart 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 refund bottle recycling program and will promote sustainable product purchases.

Fact sheet - Sault Ste. Marie Wal-Mart

- Location: 3763 I-75 Business Spur, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

- Formerly located at 4516 I-75 Business Spur.

- 203,000-square-foot Wal-Mart, gaining 91,000 additional square feet.

- Store manager: Deb LaRue.

- 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

- Full line of groceries including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for moms, meat and dairy products, fresh produce and a full liquor department.

- More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and an expanded electronics department.

- Convenience services include a pharmacy, a vision center, a digital photo processing center, Wal-Mart Connect Center and family fun center.

- Leased space includes a Subway restaurant.

Employment

- Store plans to employ approximately 425 associates, including approximately 175 new positions added.

- The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in Michigan is approximately $11.39 per hour.

- Wal-Mart 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.

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