TAMPA, Fla. – Oct. 26, 2018 – Shopping is now a whole lot easier for customers at the Walmart Supercenters in Pinellas Park and Sarasota as well as Walmart Neighborhood Markets in Clearwater and Tampa. From fresh paint and new landscaping to the addition of self-checkouts and completely transformed departments, the remodels of these four Tampa Bay-area Walmart stores are focused on creating a fast and seamless shopping experience for customers.
Local residents recently got their first look at the following newly remodeled Walmart stores:
· Walmart Neighborhood Market, 6216 Elliot Drive, Tampa
· Walmart Neighborhood Market, 2171 Gulf to Bay Blvd., Building #10, Clearwater
· Walmart Supercenter, 8001 U.S. Highway 19 N., Pinellas Park
· Walmart Supercenter, 4381 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota
Additionally, the Walmart Supercenter at 1208 E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon has introduced a Pickup Tower.
“We’re really proud of the experience we’re offering our customers and introducing new services and technology to help them save time,” said Pinellas Park Store Manager Peter Nielsen. “This remodel was more than just a fresh coat of paint, and we’re hearing from customers that they love it. Customers can now shop with us in an entirely new way with the introduction of aisle location markers throughout the store and in the Walmart app.”
In April, Walmart announced plans to spend an estimated $200 million in Florida over the next year expanding shopping options and empowering customers through new store construction, improvements and innovations. The remodels recently completed in the area are four of 12 stores in the Tampa Bay area slated to undergo a remodel this year.
Supercenter Store Improvements
Customers will enjoy the following store improvements at the newly remodeled Supercenters in the area:
· State-of-the-art electronics department with interactive displays that allow customers to try laptops, tablets, mobile phones and more before purchase at both locations
· Refreshed pharmacy with addition of health services room for private consultations and immunizations at both locations
· Improved store navigation with new aisle location markers and the Walmart app, a new feature that helps customers find where an item is located, down to the aisle and shelf area – available at both locations
· Refreshed apparel department with a new fitting room and all new apparel lines (George, Time and Tru, Terra & Sky and Wonder Nation) at both locations
· Enhanced Pickup area for Walmart.com orders with new check-in kiosk aimed at making the experience even easier and faster at the Supercenter in Sarasota
· Expanded Hispanic food assortment at the Supercenter in Pinellas Park, making it one of the largest at Walmart in the area
· Addition of a MoneyCenter for customer convenience at the Supercenter in Pinellas Park
· Expanded Online Grocery Pickup operation, which includes an increase in dedicated Pickup spaces from six to 10, at the Supercenter in Pinellas Park
· New Tool World set showcasing displays of large power equipment for customer convenience at both locations
· Brighter lighting, including in produce department to showcase store’s commitment to fresh, at both locations
· Larger signage throughout for ease of navigation and improved store flow, lower fixtures for better line of sight at both locations
· Refreshed exterior, including paint and signage at both locations
“This remodel represents our continued investment in the community,” said Sarasota Store Manager James Wright. “Our store has gone through a complete transformation, and we’re excited to be officially showcasing it to our customers. As a store of the community, we’re also proud to be granting $3,000 in total to three deserving organizations right here in Sarasota.”
Neighborhood Market Store Improvements
Customers will enjoy the following store improvements at the newly remodeled Neighborhood Markets in the area:
· Reconfigured fresh, deli and bakery areas for a streamlined shopping experience at the Neighborhood Market in Clearwater
· Improved store navigation with new aisle location markers and the Walmart app, a new feature that helps customers find where an item is located, down to the aisle and shelf area – available at both locations
· New bakery oven improves fresh bread assortment at the Neighborhood Market in Tampa
· Addition of self-checkouts for customer convenience at the Neighborhood Market in Tampa
· Expanded assortment in bakery and fresh at the Neighborhood Market in Clearwater
· Larger signage throughout for ease of navigation at both locations
· New shelving and fixtures, creating a cleaner line of sight across the store, and brighter LED lighting at both locations
· Refreshed exterior, including paint and signage at both locations
New Technology: Pickup Towers
Pickup Towers are 16 feet tall and function like high-tech vending machines, capable of fulfilling a customer’s online order in less than a minute. A Pickup Tower was recently installed at the Walmart Supercenter on Brandon Boulevard in Brandon.
Using Pickup Tower
· Simply choose from millions of items available on Walmart.com and select the “Pickup” option at checkout.
· When the item arrives at your local store, an associate loads it into the Pickup Tower and you will receive notification.
· When you arrive at the store, step up to the Pickup Tower and scan the bar code sent to your smartphone.
· You will receive your order in less than a minute.
Job Opportunities
At Walmart, associates have access to competitive wages, affordable benefits, and the chance to build a career. More than 75 percent of store management teams started as hourly associates.
Starting in 2015, Walmart began making a $2.7 billion investment over a two-year period in higher wages, more scheduling choices and further training for its associates. As part of increased wages across the company, the average full-time hourly associate now makes $13.94 an hour in Florida.
About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 265 million customers and members visit our more than 11,200 stores under 55 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion, Walmart employs over 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://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/Walmart1390 for more news about your Walmart Supercenter in Pinellas Park, https://www.facebook.com/Walmart2459 for more news about the Walmart Supercenter in Sarasota on Cattlemen Road, https://www.facebook.com/Walmart5670 for more news about the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Clearwater on Gulf to Bay Boulevard, and https://www.facebook.com/Walmart5255 for more news on your Walmart Neighborhood Market in Tampa on Elliot Drive.