Third store opens Wednesday in Alpharetta; four more stores under construction

Walmart has opened a new Neighborhood Market in Alpharetta – its third this year.  The new store occupies a former Winn-Dixie location in the Alpharetta Crossing Shopping Center.  Alpharetta follows Snellville, where a Neighborhood Market opened in August, and Lawrenceville, where the first store of its kind in Georgia opened in June.

And more are on the way, says Greg Sullivan, Walmart’s senior vice president for company operations in the Southeast. Work has begun on four additional stores in the Atlanta Metro Area that will be opened in 2013.

“We have been working hard at Walmart to make access to our brand more convenient to customers,” said Sullivan.  “In communities like Atlanta we are incorporating a more flexible approach that includes both large and small store formats.  Neighborhood markets offer a quick and convenient shopping experience for customers who need groceries, pharmacy items and general merchandise, all at our famous “Every Day Low Prices.”

Sullivan noted that the seven Atlanta-area Neighborhood Markets would employ more than 650 associates.

Two more Neighborhood Markets are under construction in Marietta – one at 1167 Powder Springs St., SW, another at Blackwell Square, 3344 Canton Road.  The  Powder Springs Street store is expected to open in January of 2013, and the Blackwell Square store in March.

Work has begun to clear the sites for Neighborhood Markets in Dunwoody (5025 Winters Chapel Road) and Tucker (3201 Tucker Norcross Road).  Sullivan said additional Neighborhood Markets were likely in the Atlanta area and would be announced at a later time.

Neighborhood Market Features
The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998 in Bentonville, Ark. The store format is designed to provide quick and convenient shopping for groceries, pharmacy items and general merchandise. Today, approximately 200 Neighborhood Markets are open throughout the nation.

“Like our Supercenters, this is a format that has proven to be very popular with our customers,” said Sullivan.  “The two formats work well together.  Customers can take advantage of the wide selection of merchandise available at our Supercenters and visit the Neighborhood Markets when they are pressed for time and need only a few grocery or pharmacy items.”

Like the three stores now open, the new Neighborhood Markets planned for Atlanta will average about 40,000-square-feet in size.  Each will employ around 90 associates.

The 46,000-square-foot Alpharetta store features a self-serve deli with pre-packaged foods, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. In addition to fresh produce, including Georgia peaches, watermelons and strawberries, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items. The Alpharetta Walmart Neighborhood Market will offer an expanded selection of general merchandise including, beer and wine, baby items, storage containers and items for the home

Shoppers will also appreciate the convenience of the store’s pharmacy, along with a full selection of health-related products and a health and beauty area. Additional areas include stationery, paper goods, pet products, hardware items and a Celebration Station, where customers can buy gift wrap and gift bags, greeting cards and party supplies. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store, which will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Neighborhood Markets also offer Site-to-Store services. Site-to-Store is a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup.

All Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets participate in the Pay with Cash program. This allows customers to order online at www.walmart.com and pay for the items with cash at all stores in the U.S. Walmart is the first major retailer to offer online purchases without the need for banking services or a credit, debit or prepaid card.

More information and photos of Neighborhood Markets can be found at:  http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/our-stores

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 10,300 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of $444 billion, Walmart employs 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmartnewsroom. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.