New Orleans, Dec. 21, 2011 – New Orleans East shoppers will welcome a new, bigger and improved Walmart to replace the one lost to floods after Hurricane Katrina. The new store located at the corner of Bullard and I-10 will feature 180,000 square feet of one-stop, low-priced shopping with features such as fresh produce, a full-service pharmacy with $4 generic prescriptions, clothing, recreational/sporting equipment, toys and more. The New Orleans East Walmart is expected to open in fall of 2013.
"We are excited about the opportunity to once again serve our loyal customers in New Orleans East by bringing a bigger and better Walmart store,” said Tracy Rosser, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Mississippi River Delta Region. “We understand and acknowledge the community’s tremendous interest in our return and we thank you for your patience and unwavering support."
The Walmart store lost to the flood was located at 6901 Bundy Road and had been serving customer in East New Orleans since 1987 and employed approximately 250 associates.
"This is welcome news on a long road to recovery for the New Orleans East community," said Congressman Cedric Richmond. "Walmart made a commitment a few years ago to build in New Orleans East and overcame obstacles to reach this point. Their persistence demonstrates a genuine interest in the people of our community. This investment proves the point that I have been making to Walmart and other major corporations for the past year--investing in New Orleans East is good for business and good for our people."
The new store also will be a platform for community giving, provide additional tax revenue for the city and help attract more economic growth for New Orleans East.
“One of my top priorities as mayor has been to attract new retail development in the city, so I am pleased Walmart is returning to New Orleans East -- a community that is prime for economic development,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “Delivering new retail for our residents is vital to our progress— it provides needed jobs, local tax dollars, and improved quality of life. Walmart’s commitment to New Orleans, both in Gentilly and now New Orleans East, shows confidence in the economic potential of our city. Walmart is showing that it is a great community partner. My office, the New Orleans Business Alliance and the City Council will continue to work together to bring positive developments like this to New Orleans.”
The New Orleans East Walmart will employ at least 300 new Walmart associates, offering eligible associates a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, bonus incentives, 401(k) matching contributions up to 6 percent and discounts on general merchandise and fresh fruits and vegetables. Nationally, nearly 75 percent of our store management team started as hourly associates, which is a great starting point for a career with Walmart.
“The announcement that Walmart is building a Super Walmart store in New Orleans east is a welcome and long awaited event,” said New Orleans Councilman Jon D. Johnson. “This is a sign that New Orleans east is a great place to do business, and is the beginning of the resurgence of retail development in the area. No longer will residents of the east have to travel great distances to purchase the basic necessities. The Walmart Supercenter will immeasurably improve our quality of life, and we could not be happier that it is actually becoming a reality. My office has been and will continue to work hand-in-hand with Walmart to make this a smooth process. As Councilman for District E and Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, I am committed to assisting in the expansion of business opportunities in our community.”
Walmart is working to return to the New Orleans East community by bringing our loyal customers a sustainable project and will provide access to our everyday low prices for years to come. Walmart associates met with customers and engaged in various meetings and listened to community leaders and elected officials on how we could provide the community with a store that offers an assortment of fresh produce and grocery at affordable prices.
Walmart currently employs nearly 35,300 associates at over 90 retail locations in Louisiana. Additionally, through our more than 855 Louisiana suppliers, Walmart supports nearly 27,512 jobs throughout the state of Louisiana.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,700 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 philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS - Mayor’s Press Office
