Wal-Mart opens its first Miami, Florida-area Neighborhood Market store, one of roughly 170 nationwide

Cindy Allen

BENTONVILLE, Arkansas , March 14, 2012 (press release) – The newest Walmart Neighborhood Market store in Miami/Dade area, the first of its kind, will open Wednesday, March 14 in Hialeah. Located at 400 W. 49th St., the store will occupy a formerly vacant space along Hialeah’s commercial corridor and is expected to help boost economic revitalization efforts in this part of Hialeah through increased shopper traffic and 100 full- and part-time jobs.

“We are happy and proud that the Walmart family has chosen our city for this new store,” said Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez. “We are sure this store will be successful and that together we can make Hialeah a city of progress.”

Neighborhood Market Format

The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, but the new Hialeah store is the first one in the Miami/Dade area. There are approximately 170 Walmart Neighborhood Market stores nationwide, each featuring quick and convenient shopping for groceries, pharmaceuticals and general merchandise. They range in size from 30,000 to 40,000 square-feet and typically employ approximately 95 associates.

New Hialeah Store

The new store is tailored for the Hialeah community, featuring a wide variety of tropical fruits and vegetables, fresh cakes and bread, and a selection of Cuban pastries, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The deli will feature a grab-and-go section with rotisserie chicken, fresh baked pizza and standard deli sides, including rice and beans. In addition to the fresh produce, bakery and deli items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products, and organic items.

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 and hardware items. Customers can also print their own digital photos at the store. The store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The store will offer Site-to-Store services, a regular feature at other Walmart stores, but unique for a Walmart Neighborhood Market. 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.

Store to Employ 100 Associates

Approximately 100 part- and full-time associates will be employed at the new store. Nine of those associates have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years. The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Florida is approximately $12.47 per hour.*

Walmart’s benefit program is available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides a variety of affordable health and well-being benefits including medical insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise for store associates, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance.
Suarez Named Store Manager

Arianna Suarez will manage the new Hialeah store. Suarez began her Walmart career in 2001 upon moving to Hialeah from Cuba. She first worked as a cashier at the Walmart store on N.W. 77th Avenue Since then, she has advanced in her career to work on teams in three other Florida stores, returning to Hialeah last November to prepare for the new store opening.

“It’s very exciting to be part of the first Walmart Neighborhood Market in this community,” said Suarez. “We have a family atmosphere where people can come and ‘one-stop-shop’ and get their basic needs. The best part of my job is getting to know people and interacting with them on a daily basis. I want them to feel like ‘I am going to MY store.’”

Suarez is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in business administration through the American Public University System (APUS). Walmart partners with APUS to provide an online degree program that allows associates to receive college credit for work experience.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration 7 a.m., March 14

The store will host a grand-opening celebration at 7 a.m., Wednesday, March 14. Store associates and local dignitaries will participate in a brief ceremony, followed by a ribbon-cutting where the doors to the new store will be opened to the public.

Throughout grand-opening day, members of the Hialeah community are invited to a fiesta to enjoy product samplings, giveaways and various entertainment events.
Community Groups Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants

$15,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation were recently presented to charitable organizations in celebration of the grand opening of the new store.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 10,000 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $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://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
FACT SHEET
Hialeah Neighborhood Market
Store facts

Location: 400 W. 49th St., Hialeah, Fla.
31,000-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market
Store opens at 7 a.m., Wednesday, March 14, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony
Store manager: Arianna Suarez
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, fresh produce, frozen foods and organic items.
Additional merchandise includes health and beauty aids, pet and cleaning products, hardware and stationery.
Convenience services include a pharmacy, digital photo processing center and Walmart Site-to-Store.

Charitable giving

$15,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation to charitable organizations.

Employment

Store will employ approximately 100 associates, including nine associates who have worked for Walmart for more than 10 years.
Store manager Arianna Suarez began her Walmart career as a cashier at the N.W. 77th Avenue store in 2001. Nearly 75 percent of Walmart store management teams began their careers as hourly associates.
The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Florida is approximately $12.47 per hour.*
Walmart’s benefit program is available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides a variety of affordable health and well-being benefits including medical insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise for store associates, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance

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