Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. : Walmart Welcomes Northwest Houston Shoppers to New Store

Store provides jobs, grocery, deli, bakerywide selection of merchandise

HOUSTON, Jan. 17, 2012 - Walmart opens a new store in Houston this month, bringing savingsconvenience closer for residentsbusinesses in the northwest quadrant of the city. Located at 13003 Tomball Parkway, at the intersection of Highway 249Smiling Wood Lane, the store brings 300 new jobs, savings on a full line of groceriesan increase in tax revenue to support the area's economy. Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer's ongoing charitable contributionssupport for community projects. Local dignitaries will join store manager Angela Mannstore associates to celebrate during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25.

The 152,000-square foot store features a full line of groceries, as well as a bakery, a deli, a frozen food section,meat, dairyfresh produce sections. Time-saving servicesan expansive merchandise selection add to its one-stop shopping convenience. Wide aisles, bright interior paint scheme, enhanced lightingeasy-to-read signage make the shopping experience more convenient for customers.

Economic Impact Includes Approximately 300 New Jobs

The Smiling Wood store plans to employ approximately 300 associates. Several associates have transferred to the new store from existing Walmart locationshave worked for the company for more than 10 years.

"Walmart provides job opportunitiescareer choices for everyone from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people wanting to gain work experience," Mann said. She started her career with Walmart as an hourly associate in1997, working part-time to prepare the Tomball store for its opening.

Store Designed to Improve Customer Experience

In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandisingcustomer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company's newest stores, such as the Smiling Wood Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experienceclean stores.

The new Walmart features enhanced servicesa layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. Walmart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently.

"The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities," said Mann. "By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, including placing healthbeauty products near the , we are making one-stop shopping even easier."

pick-up locationphoto lab in one area near the entrance. Customers now have easy access to these services, as well as associates on hand to help meet their needs.

Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features

The new Smiling Wood Walmart, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technologyenvironmentally friendly features to reduce energywater consumptionminimize waste. The store's skylights harvest daylightreduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. LED lighting in the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting.

The cement flooring throughout the store reduces the need for chemical cleaners. Low-flow toiletsno-touch faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms. The new store also operates a recycling programwill promote sustainable product purchases.

Ribbon-Cutting Celebration, 7:30 a.m., Jan. 25

The grand-opening celebration for the Smiling Wood Houston store is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 25. Communitybusinesses leaders will join store associates for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4 Post 581 will raise the flag to begin the ceremony. Walmart associate Makeda Guinn will perform the national anthem.

Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants

During the ceremony, store associates will present $12,000 in grants from the to local organizations, including Epps Island Elementary School, Houston Food Bank, the Houston Police Departmentthe Houston Fire Department.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customersmembers 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 philanthropyemployment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting .

FACT SHEET
Houston's Smiling Wood Walmart Store facts

• Location: 13003 Tomball Parkway, Houston, Texas
• 152,000-square-foot Walmart
• Store will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, Jan. 25
• Store manager: Angela Mann
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Store features

• Full line of groceries, including a bakery, a deli serving fresh foodmeal solutions for busy people on-the-go, meatdairy products, fresh produce,beerwine
• More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparelaccessories, a lawngarden center, healthbeauty aids,an expanded electronics department
• , digital photo processing centera Walmart Connect Center
• Leased areas include a Subway restauranta branch of Woodforest National Bank

• Epps Island Elementary School
• Houston Fire Department
• Houston Food Bank
• Houston Police Department

Employment

• Store plans to employ approximately 300 associates
• The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Texas is approximately $12.19 per hour*
• Walmart's benefit program is available to eligible full-part-time associatesprovides a variety of affordable healthwell-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, an Associate Stock Purchase Programcompany-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance.

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