OREANDA-NEWS. October 02, 2015. The new Walmart Neighborhood Markets in Alabaster and Tuscaloosa will open to the community Wednesday, Sept. 30, bringing a broad assortment of fresh, affordable groceries at Walmart’s everyday low prices. Customers will also enjoy the convenience of on-site services such as a full pharmacy and fuel station and a free store pickup service providing an easy way to shop millions of products on Walmart.com. The new stores will employ up to 190 full- and part-time associates.

“We are proud to be a part of the Alabaster community,” said Alabaster store manager Jonathan Webb. “We look forward to opening and providing area residents with Walmart’s everyday low prices.”

“Our store will allow Tuscaloosa residents to shop a broad variety in a format convenient for everyday shopping,” said Tuscaloosa store manager Melinda Fike.

Fresh, Affordable Produce, Meat and Groceries
The stores offer fresh produce and meat, pantry staples and a full line of groceries from leading brands.

In addition to organics and nutritious food choices, Alabaster and Tuscaloosa customers will also find a full-service deli and in-store bakery offering custom cakes and fresh baked breads. The new Tuscaloosa store will carry a selection of local products from Conecuh Sausage Company, Golden Eagle Syrup and Wickles Pickles.

Full Service Pharmacy
The Neighborhood Markets include pharmacies with a full range of products, immunizations and services and Walmart pharmacists ready to assist customers with product and prescription questions. Both Alabaster and Tuscaloosa residents can easily transfer prescriptions and order refills on the go with the Walmart mobile app. A drive thru pharmacy window makes prescription drop off and pick up quick and easy.

Millions of Items with Seamless Digital and In-Store Shopping
The stores are approximately 41,000 square feet and offer a wide assortment of products to meet the needs of Alabaster and Tuscaloosa residents. Customers will find health and beauty aids, pet products and cleaning supplies. Shopping is more convenient than ever as Alabaster and Tuscaloosa residents can shop seven million items on Walmart.com, many of which can be shipped for free to any Walmart store through Walmart Pickup.

The Walmart mobile app for iPhone and Android makes shopping easier than ever. Customers can refill prescription medications, create shopping lists, search the location of items in their store, check weekly ads and prices, save eReceipts and shop Walmart.com through the app.

Job Opportunities at Walmart
The stores will employ up to 190 associates for full- and part-time positions within the store. Applicants interested in careers at Walmart can apply at a store’s hiring kiosk or online at Walmartcareers.com. Webb began his Walmart career in 2000 as an hourly cart pusher in a store in Alabaster. Fike began her Walmart career in 1993 as an hourly bakery associate at a store in Tuscaloosa. 

At Walmart, more than 75 percent of store management teams started as hourly associates. In 2014, 160,000 associates were promoted, and 40 percent of those promotions went to associates within the first year of their employment. Earlier this year Walmart announced it would be making more than a \\$1B investment in higher wages and training and other enhancements for its associates. 

Community Giving
The grand-opening celebrations include presentations of over \\$8,000 in grants from Walmart to local community groups. The new stores will also continue a commitment by Walmart and the Walmart Foundation to fight hunger in Alabaster and Tuscaloosa and across the U.S. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation recently exceeded a \\$2 billion goal to fight hunger one year ahead of schedule and have donated more than 1.5 billion pounds of food to those in need across the country.

Two Celebration Events: Grand Opening and A Big Family Welcome
Local associates will provide a special welcome to members of Alabaster and Tuscaloosa at two public events. Store associates will host a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony on grand opening day, Sept. 30, at 7:30 a.m. The following Saturday, Oct. 3, local residents are invited to A Big Family Welcome, which will give customers a chance to meet Webb and Fike at their respective stores and enjoy fun family activities and free food samples while supplies last. Join the celebration from noon to 3 p.m.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, 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, we serve nearly 260 million customers who visit our 11,532 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries and e-commerce websites in 11 countries. With fiscal year 2015 revenue of \\$486 billion, Walmart employs more than 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. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.