The final stages of assembly are under way in preparation for next Wednesday’s grand opening of Princeton’s Walmart Supercenter, a milestone in local commerce.
The current Walmart will shut its doors at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 14.
At 7:30 a.m. the next day, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will mark the opening of the new Supercenter, a mile down the highway. The store will open for business at 8 a.m.
The new store, which will add 150 new jobs, is being promoted as state-of-the art, easy to navigate and environmentally friendly.
From his office in the front of the store, behind a window allowing him to see its 173,000-square-foot expanse, Walmart Manager Allen Dixon is eager for the public to get a look at all the facility’s features, down to the smallest detail, like the signs in a produce aisle.
“We have the newest signage of any Walmart in the world,” he said Monday. “To have that in Princeton, Ky., is really special. I love it.”
The store will host an invitation-only VIP open house for elected officials and others who helped in making the supercenter a reality Monday evening.
Upwards of 320 employees will be on staff, from Dixon and co-managers Jake Blackwell and Rita Patterson to the drivers of the Zamboni-like vehicle that keeps the store floors clean.
The floors were laid with cement made from recycled materials, and its finish eliminates the need for waxing and most of the chemicals previously required, Dixon said.
Similar nods toward conservation and the environment are evident throughout the store, from low-flow toilets and faucets to the use of skylights, LED and motion-activated lighting.
The move, company officials said, could reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent.
The new store will also operate its own recycling program and will promote the purchase of sustainable products.
Dixon will use Monday’s VIP open house to hand out more than $17,000 in grand opening grants to several community organizations.
Pennyrile Allied Community Services (PACS) will receive the largest allocation, $5,250.
“My big focus that I went after is food banks,” said Dixon. “There’s more people visiting food banks now for the first time ever.”
Bright Life Farms, the Caldwell County Free Clinic, the George Coon Public Library, the Community Disciples and the Caldwell County Animal Shelter are also slated to receive funding.
“That’s a pretty good help that we’ve been able to do,” he said.
The new store, though, remains the focal point.
Its layout has been extensively redesigned, with wider aisles free of mid-aisle displays and lower shelving for improved sightlines and accessibility.
The store’s departments have also been rearranged.
Departments that customers shop most frequently have been aligned.
Its pharmacy, for example, is located in the middle of the store, adjacent to the bakery, deli and produce departments, allowing customers to pick up prescriptions while shopping for groceries.
“You don’t have to shop the whole store if you don’t want to,” said Dixon. “That’s what people are looking for, getting in and out.”
