Consumers seeking to grab all the items on their list before or after work need not look any further than one location.
Walmart officially opened its first Supercentre facility in Newfoundland and Labrador on Thursday morning at 60 Merchant Dr. in Mount Pearl.
It culminated six months of hard work by contractors and staff as they revamped the store to include a full-service grocery, bakery, deli and produce section. Walmart’s Supercentres provide customers with a one-stop shopping experience featuring a full complement of fresh, quality groceries in addition to general merchandise.
Accounting office associate Marie Lockyer was given the honour of cutting the ribbon to kick off the grand opening as she was joined by five of her colleagues at the entrance to the store. A full complement of staff witnessed the ceremony from inside the store and nearly 100 waiting customers waited in the foyer just prior to 7 a.m. seeking to get a first crack at the grand opening savings specials.
“This is a great milestone for the province and for the company,” store manager Darrell Layden said.
“We are pleased to offer a new, fresh and unique shopping experience that will help Newfoundlanders save money,” he added.
He said Walmart has always been all about the customer and to be able to help enhance that core value in this revamped store is exciting.
He said Walmart always seeks to provide customers with competitive pricing and great service, and adding thousands of new products for those consumers to choose from will only enhance those core values.
The location will provide a one-stop shopping experience by adding a variety of fresh groceries and food items that include Canada No. 1 grade fruits and vegetables, Canadian AAA Angus beef, chicken, pork and salmon, baked goods and meals to go, in addition to the store’s current merchandise selection.
The launch of Walmart’s Supercentre format in Newfoundland resulted in approximately 130 jobs that include management, cashiers, overnight staff and customer experience positions.
More than $20 million has been invested in the three Newfoundland store locations to enhance the shopping experience.
All three Supercentre locations will feature a selection of meat, baked goods and produce that have been sourced locally from Newfoundland and Atlantic Canada.
“We’re thrilled to bring our Supercentre format to Newfoundland with a fresh offering that we know our customers will enjoy,” Lee Tappenden, president and CEO of Walmart Canada, said in a news release Thursday morning.
“Walmart’s mission has always been to help people save money, so they can live better. Our goal is to bring this promise to our customers in Newfoundland, so they can benefit from Walmart’s everyday low prices,” he added.
Two additional stores, Kelsey Drive and Stavanger Drive, will convert to Supercentres within the coming weeks.
Thursday’s grand opening celebrations in Mount Pearl featured swag bag giveaways to the first 200 customers, product sampling, cheque presentations to the Janeway Children’s Hospital Foundation and five additional community groups, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
On Saturday, festivities will continue with family-fun activities, demos and more for customers to enjoy.
“This has been a missing piece for our customers. Now they can come to Walmart and get what you need … and save money,” said Tom Flaim, VP operations for Atlantic Canada.
“By lowering spending for consumer products for the people of Newfoundland, the people can live better,” he added.
Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca, facebook.com/walmartcanada and at twitter.com/walmartcanada.
