Renovated Wal-Mart doubles in size

Port Orchard’s Wal-Mart is vying for the city’s unofficial title as king of the one-stop shop.

On Wednesday, the Arkansas-based box superstore at 3497 Bethel Road unveiled its new grocery section, which includes a bakery, a deli, a produce department, a full stock of liquor and a Subway restaurant. The addition adds to the store’s more than 30 merchandise and apparel departments, lawn and garden center and electronics department.

Construction on the 106,000-square-foot grocery department began 13 months ago, said store manager Angie Powell. While construction was a bit of a hindrance with parking and maneuverability, she said most customers are excited about the new grocery department.

“Sounds like everyone is excited,” she said. “It’s been a long 13 months and now we’re excited to have everything open.”

The new department should create approximately 85 new positions for employment, Powell said, with the Port Orchard Wal-Mart soon employing 300 people in the 209,000-square-foot store.

The store renovations include a variety of environmentally friendly features. According to a Wal-Mart press release, the stores skylights reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. The store operates on energy efficient light bulbs and much of the concrete floor is made of recycled materials. The toilets in the bathrooms are all low-flow.

Other layout renovations and designs such as lower shelving and increased signage improve the shopping experience, said Powell.

Port Orchard Wal-Mart is open 24 hours a day.

 

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