by TImothy Rutt
Altadena's Walmart Neighborhood Market will open for business on Friday, March 1, according to a Walmart spokeswoman.
Rachel Wall, Walmart's senior manager of community affairs, said that it would be a "celebration weekend, opening the store to the Altadena community," with product giveaways and sample for customers.
Wall said the store will host a grand-opening celebration at 7:30 AM on Friday, March 1. Store associates and local dignitaries will participate in a brief ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting where the doors to the new store will be opened to the public at 8 AM, Wall said in a press release. Local representatives including those from the Altadena Town Council and the Altadena Chamber of Commerce have been invited to attend.
According to the press release:
The grand-opening day celebrations will include product samplings and giveaways from companies including Wonderful Pistachios, Pepsi, Bimbo Bakeries, Monster, 7UP, Frito-Lay, Kellogg’s, Nabisco and more. Other activities scheduled include face painting and a character appearance by the Bimbo Bear. The grand-opening activities will continue through Sunday, March 3, including more character appearances, vendor samples and events. All events are family-friendly, free and open to the public.
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, $6,500 in grants from Walmart and the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations, including John Muir High School, Andrew Jackson Elementary School, Mentoring and Partnership for Youth Development (MPYD) and Neighbors Acting Together Helping All (NATHA).
The new Walmart Neighborhood Market is tailored for the Altadena community, featuring a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, fresh cakes and bread, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The deli will feature a Grab-and-Go section with rotisserie chicken, fresh-baked pizza and standard deli sides. In addition to the fresh produce, bakery and deli items, the store will carry a full line of groceries, including frozen foods, meat and dairy products and organic items.
The approximately 28,000-square-foot store will be open from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week. The store will offer Site-to-Store, a free service that allows customers to ship online orders from www.walmart.com free to any Walmart store for pickup.
Wall said that the store will also offer Site-to-Store, where cusomers can order items from Walmart's website and they will be shipped for free to the Neighborhood Market. It is located at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Drive.
