Walmart celebrates 117 re-grand openings

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — On Friday, November 3, Walmart plans to host “Second Best Day” celebrations for 117 stores nationwide, marking the largest single-day rollout of re-grand openings for remodeled stores in company history. Walmart says the re-grand opening projects represent more than half a billion dollars in capital investments in local communities across 30 states. Associates and customers will be welcomed into the improved Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets with ceremonies, ribbon cuttings and family-friendly activities to commemorate the occasion.

“We’re investing more than $9 billion over a two-year period to upgrade and modernize more than 1,400 of our stores across the U.S.,” said John Furner, chief executive officer of Walmart U.S. “With nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population living within 10 miles of a Walmart, we understand how important our local stores are to customers and communities, and these construction investments allow us to create more local jobs and make it easier for our associates to get customers what they want, when they want it.”

Each store’s reopening is part of Walmart’s Signature Experience, which seeks to inspire customers and provide them with a seamless, high-quality shopping experience. Upgraded features include improved layouts, expanded product selections and innovative technology that allows Walmart associates to better support customers and make shopping more convenient and enjoyable.

Customers shopping enhanced stores can expect to see:

• Refreshed interior and exterior: New paint, updated flooring throughout the store, modernized restrooms, and new fixtures and LED lighting for better and brighter line of sight throughout the store.
• New Signage allowing for easier navigation while shopping in store and using the Walmart App.
• More shopping carts in each store for customer convenience.
• Front end transformation: Increased check-out options, including staffed lanes and self-checkout areas
• Larger Online Grocery Pickup and Deliver areas to accommodate growing demand and to serve more customers shopping with us online
• Grab & Go: New grab and go sections are being added to grocery areas for quick meal and drink options.
• Activated corners: Exciting displays are featured at the corners of certain departments to pull customers in and help them touch, feel and become a part of the space.
• Elevated departments: Transformed stores feature displays showcasing products out of their boxes, so customers can visualize fitting them into their daily lives.
• More space to discover: Walmart has purposefully created more space for customers to explore and discover what their local store has to offer.
• Digital touchpoints: New touchpoints located throughout the store help communicate the range of products and services offered online through QR codes and digital screens.For example, in Walmart’s Pets area, customers may scan the QR code to find additional dog bed options, learn about Walmart’s pet insurance service options or have a 20-pound bag of kibble delivered to their door.
• Expanded Pharmacies: For easier customer access, many pharmacies have been moved to the front of the store and have been expanded to allow for new private screening rooms for pharmacist consultations and services.
• Updated Customer Service Area for additional room, ease and comfort.
• Mother’s Room with comfortable, clean and private area for nursing mothers.
• Vision Center: Walmart’s Vision Center experience is designed around the customer that offers an assort of quality eyeglasses and sunglasses with prescription lenses.
• New Dollar Shop at store entrances with seasonally relevant products.

Additionally, Walmart says customers at the remodeled stores will continue saving time and money by shopping when, where and how they want through the following on-going innovations:

• Walmart+ – Walmart+ is a membership program designed to save members time and money on their everyday essentials and much more. That means giving members access to great benefits like free delivery from the store, free shipping with no minimum order, a Paramount+ Essential subscription, mobile Scan & Go, member pricing on fuel, ability to earn Walmart Rewards and early access to deals. Walmart+ costs $98 per year and includes a 30-day free trial period.
• Pickup – Walmart’s Pickup option provides the convenience of online shopping while allowing customers to quickly collect their groceries without stepping out of their vehicles, according to the retailer, which says the best part is that Walmart Grocery Pickup is completely free of charge. Furthermore, customers using SNAP in most states have the option to avail themselves of the pickup service as well.
• Delivery – Walmart’s delivery service is also a hit, and Walmart notes that it has made both pickup and delivery services contact free. And with Express delivery, customers now have the option to have their deliveries made in under two hours.
• Walmart Pay – a touch-free way to pay.