<!--Rick Forgione--><table width="234" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" background="http://static.cnhi.zope.net/flashpromo/niagaragazette/images/byline_234x60.jpg" height="60"><tr><td><div align="center"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By Rick Forgione</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></font><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="mailto:rick.forgione@niagara-gazette.com">rick.forgione@niagara-gazette.com</a></font></div></td></tr></table>
Watching employees entering and exiting the new Walmart in Niagara Falls, Demetrius Young had only one question on his mind Tuesday morning.
“Is it finally open?” he asked.
Young arrived a little early — the new store doesn’t officially open until 7 a.m. today — but said he’s planning on making a return trip to the 24-hour supercenter on Military Road within the next couple of days.
“A lot of people have been waiting a long time for sometime like this to come here,” he said. “With the economy the way it is, people need to stretch their dollars further. And you can get everything at a Super Walmart.”
The new store, 1540 Military Road, is 204,000 square feet, which is 85,000 square feet larger than its previous location on Porter Road in the Town of Niagara. Like the chain’s other super stores, it offers a full line of groceries to complement more than 30 merchandise departments, such as apparel and accessories, health and beauty aids and an expanded electronics department.
Steven V. Restivo, director of corporate affairs northeast region, led media tours Tuesday as employees put the finishing touches on stocking shelves and placing signage. He highlighted numerous special amenities of the new store, the first one built in Western New York under Walmart’s new design. The aisles are wider, shelves are lower for improved line of sight and signage on every aisle helps customers find what they are looking for quickly. A bright interior color palette creates an inviting shopping experience and helps define the store’s different areas.
“I think we’re going to get a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs,’ ” Restivo said. “This is the latest and greatest Walmart store we have to offer in terms of branding, merchandise, customer service and sustainability.”
Entering the store, the grocery section greets customers to the right. The line includes a bakery, meat and dairy products, fresh produce and beverages and a deli serving fresh food and meals. Nearby, shoppers can quickly pick up hygiene products or items from the pharmacy.
“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” store manager Doug Fruck said. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, including health and beauty and pet supplies, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”
Restivo stressed that quality customer service and enhanced product presentation will be key aspects of the new store. In the electronics department, for example, brands of products and other information are displayed prominently and associates are trained to know the latest on technology to help customers choose the best product in their price range.
Other specialty areas include a “$1 or less” aisle, a seasonal section (currently stocked with back to school items) and a drive-thru lawn and garden center. The store’s layout also offers larger space near the checkouts, where associates will be working hard to keep the lines moving and the atmosphere pleasant. There are also express item lanes and a few automatic scanners for faster checkout.
“The checkout process is critical — that’s the last impression customers get of our store,” Restivo said.
The building incorporates Walmart’s new energy efficient standards, such as skylights which reduce about 75 percent of the energy used to light the store, concrete flooring made from recycled cement with a finish that reduces the need for chemical cleaners and a storewide recycling program.
The new store currently has a full staff, employing 500 associates, of which half were transferred from the Porter Road site and the rest are new jobs. Restivo said the potential for employee advancement is high, pointing out three out of ever four current store managers started out as hourly employees.
“We offer not just a job opportunity but a career opportunity,” he said. “We’re committed to growing our business in Western New York. Walmart has been a company that’s focused on value since the beginning.”
In addition to creating jobs for the area, Walmart will pay out close to $750,000 in annual property taxes to Niagara County and the city and school district of Niagara Falls beginning in May 2010, City Assessor Dom Penale said. Currently, the store is scheduled to pay $400,000 this year based on its assessment as of taxable status day this past March when the property was under construction, he added.
The municipalities also will benefit from the sales taxes imposed. All of the taxes are new revenue sources for the city since the former Walmart on Porter Road was located in the Town of Niagara. Construction on the new location began last spring after years of controversy and debate, including a legal dispute between the town and city regarding proper ownership of the property, which is the former site of LaSalle High School.
Walmart joins Chili’s Restaurant in the new plaza, which is next door to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls and across the road from Wegmans.
“The customer anticipation is very high for this store,” Restivo said.
A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 7 a.m. today and the store will open immediately following. The company’s charitable foundation will be awarded donations totaling $15,000 to Niagara County organizations, including Community Missions of Niagara Frontier, the Police Athletic League of Niagara Falls, People & Possibilities, Friends of Family Support and Leo F. Heck Firefighters Toy Fund.
Contact reporter Rick Forgione
at 282-2311, ext. 2257.
