Walmart will open the first Walmart Neighborhood Market in Washington on June 29, in Bellevue.
The store, at 15063 Main St., replaces a former K-mart location in the Kelsey Creek Shopping Center. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
At about one-quarter the size of a traditional supercenter, the new store is the third of its kind to open on the West Coast.
“We’re very pleased to see Walmart invest in Kelsey Creek Center,” said Bellevue Mayor Conrad Lee. “The opening of this store means a long-dormant space will be occupied and re-energized. It also gives residents another retail option and brings new jobs to the city.”
The 64,000 square-foot store consists of about 40,000 square feet of groceries with the remainder for general merchandise such as health and beauty aids, baby products, hardware and stationary. It also will carry electronics such as iPod and iPad, X-box and Wii.
The grocery portion has a a self-serve deli, a wide variety of locally-grown fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The store also carries Hispanic, Asian, organic and gluten free foods. Local wines and microbrews also are part of the mix.
The store will offer Site-to-Store services, a regular feature at other Walmart stores, but not typical for a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Site-to-Store is a service that allows customers to ship online orders free to any Walmart store for pickup.
Customers already were making use of the service at the store, even before it opened, including Jennifer Spall, director of public affairs for the company, who ordered a barbecue delivered to the store.
All Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets participate in the Pay with Cash program. This allows customers to order online t www.walmart.com and pay for the items with cash at all stores in the U.S. Walmart is the first major retailer to offer online purchases without the need for banking services or a credit, debit or prepaid card.
The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998 in Bentonville, Ark. The Bellevue store is one of eight Walmart Neighborhood Markets opening in June nationwide, bringing the total number of this type of Walmart store to nearly 200.
In celebration of Walmart’s 50th Anniversary, the company’s Washington State Giving Council selected Meals on Wheels’ Senior Services program to receive a $50,000 grant to help provide meals to seniors and adults with disabilities through King County. Additional funds will be available throughout the year for local organizations that serve the community. Interested groups can visit walmartstores.com/communitygiving for more information.
The new store will create approximately 110 part- and full-time jobs. The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Washington is approximately $12.93 per hour.
Store Manager Jeremy Winn began his Walmart career at the age of 19 as a temporary associate at a store in Springfield, Ore., in 2001. Nearly 75 percent of Walmart store management teams began their careers as hourly associates.
Opening celebration
Walmart store associates will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:30 a.m., Friday, June 29. A brief ceremony will be followed by a ribbon-cutting. Doors to the new store will be opened to the public at 8 a.m.
The Interlake High School Jazz Choir will perform the national anthem, and members of Post 2995 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars will present the colors.
Special events on grand-opening day, and continuing through the weekend, include character appearances, product giveaways and samplings, and other events.
The Walmart Neighborhood Market in Bellevue carries local wines, microbrews and spirits.
Gluten-free foods are available, as well as organic food and Hispanic and Asian varieties.
