News | October 27, 2011

It's A First! Walmart Opens Three Neighborhood Markets On Same Day In Wichita

For the first time ever, Walmart will open three new Neighborhood Markets in the same city on the same day, when the company celebrates three grand openings in Wichita on Nov. 2.

The new Walmart Neighborhood Markets and their managers are:

  • 9831 E. Harry St., Jeff Pinnell, manager. Pinnell is a Wichita native and was formerly co-manager of a Walmart in Newton, Kan.
  • 2111 N. Amidon, Ryan Hagebusch, manager. Hagebusch is an Augusta/Wichita native and began his career as a cashier in Augusta. He has been with the company for eight years.
  • 3137 S. Seneca St., Russell Totty, manager. Totty, a Kansas native, has been with Walmart for 22 years and was a Walmart co-manager before being promoted to this position. "Wichita is my home, so it is a real honor to be opening a great store in my hometown," said Pinnell. "It makes me proud to work for Walmart and happy for our community."

The stores will open at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, following a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony and festivities at each location.

The new Neighborhood Markets are part of five opening in Wichita this year. Each is between 30,000-40,000 square feet and features a pharmacy, fresh produce, groceries and household goods in a convenient format close to residential neighborhoods. Each store employs approximately 90 part- and full-time associates.

In addition, the store at 2111 N. Amidon will be the first Walmart in the United States to feature all-LED interior lighting. The company expects to see a 40 percent savings on the energy-efficient lights, which also last at least six years beyond conventional lighting, reducing maintenance costs.

"We are delighted to have all LED interior lighting in our newest Wichita store," said market manager Michael Overton. "This is part of Walmart's commitment to be a good steward of the environment, and we will be closely monitoring our savings in Wichita to gather more measurable data about the benefits of sustainability."

Community Groups Benefit from $30,000 in Grants

The grand-opening celebrations will also mean a total of $30,000 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to local nonprofit groups. Among the organizations that will benefit are the United Pentecostal Church Bus Ministry, South East High School Library, Dress for Success Wichita, Inter-Faith Ministries, Marshall Middle School, Sedgwick County EMS, Sedgwick County K-9 Fund and more.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 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 Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

FACT SHEET — Wichita Walmart Neighborhood Markets

Store facts

Location: 9831 E. Harry St., Wichita, Kan.

  • 35,462-square-foot Walmart
  • Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
  • Store manager: Jeff Pinnell
  • Open 24 hours, 7 days a week

Location: 2111 N. Amidon., Wichita, Kan.

  • 35,172-square-foot Walmart
  • Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
  • Store manager: Ryan Hagebusch
  • Open 24 hours, 7 days a week

Location: 3137 S. Seneca St., Wichita, Kan.

  • 35,460-square-foot Walmart
  • Store opens at 8 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, following a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony
  • Store manager: Russell Totty
  • Open 24 hours, 7 days a week

Store features

  • Full line of fresh produce and groceries, including meat and dairy products
  • Organic food choices
  • Bakery and deli with hot prepared deli foods, such as rotisserie chicken, as well as meats and cheeses
  • Drive-thru pharmacy, with Walmart's expanded line of $4 prescriptions for common medical conditions
  • Health and wellness products
  • Beauty products
  • Household items
  • Stationery and paper goods
  • Pet products
  • Hardware items
  • Digital photo printing
  • Check cashing, money transfers and walk-in bill paying services

Employment

  • Each store plans to employ approximately 90 associates
  • The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Kansas is approximately $11.56 per hour*
  • Walmart's benefit program is available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides 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, a Sam's Club membership for club associates, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Eligible associates receive an annual incentive based on the company performance.

* Average wage taken June 2011. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

SOURCE: Walmart Stores