With the opening of the new 54,000 square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market, 12840 Beach Blvd. in Stanton, residents express happiness at finally having a market back in the area near the northeast corner of Beach and Garden Grove boulevards.
With the opening of the new 54,000 square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market, 12840 Beach Blvd. in Stanton, residents express happiness at finally having a market back in the area near the northeast corner of Beach and Garden Grove boulevards.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting for the store, held last week, was attended by Stanton city officials and members of the West Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“I got up at 5 a.m. to come here, wanting to be first in line when the market opened at 8 a.m. after the ribbon cutting,” said Delinda Giron, who lives in Garden Grove. “We haven't had a store here since Food 4 Less closed; I moved here in 2005 and by 2007, Food 4 Less was gone. This one, Walmart, should last.”
“This plaza has been dead – and now it's like Lazarus (Lazarus of Bethany from the Bible). It has been revised and raised again like a great Phoenix from the ashes,” said Noel Giron.
The new store was given a blessing by St. Poly Carp's Parochial-vicar and Pastor Fredy Mancilla, asking for a blessing for the employees who labor within the store and for the store leaders, for the city of Stanton and for those who worked to have the store come to fruition.
“This is a long-anticipated event. It's an honor to have the store here and a necessity for products and services the community has needed,” Stanton Mayor David Shawver said. “This brings economic development and jobs; another service for you and your families.”
The grand opening of the store not only helps the community by providing fresh fruits and vegetables, along with lots of other staples, it provides 65 new jobs.
More than 2,000 applicants submitted applications to work at the new store.
“I 'm excited to see this new store open,” said Connie Pedenko, president and CEO of the West Orange County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “In addition to creating new jobs, having a Walmart here will help re-energize this shopping center and bring more customers to surrounding businesses, ultimately strengthening our local economy.”
Shawver praised Walmart for giving donations to the community in a welcoming gesture.
Walmart supports local charitable causes that are important to the communities it serves. In the last fiscal year, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated $1.7 million to organizations that serve the residents of Orange County.
Walmart donated $7,000 to local charities on opening day.
Some of the groups attending the grand opening and receiving $1,000 checks included Pacific Islander Health Partnership, Stanton Community Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of Stanton, Orange County Sheriff's Department Police Services and the Vietnamese Community of Orange County.
Store hours are from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. The store offers fresh produce, a bakery, a self-serve deli, prepared meal options and organic and natural selections.
Additional merchandise includes health and beauty aids, pet and cleaning products, hardware and stationery and an in-store pharmacy, along with a Walmart Site-to-Store free service that lets shoppers ship an online order to any Walmart store in the 48 contiguous United States.
“We're all gathered here together today making the community stronger, which is an asset to Stanton,” said Nelisa Blackwell, store manager. “We're proud to open this store in the city of Stanton where we can offer fresh products that are locally grown in the State of California, mainly in Riverside.”
The new smaller format of the Walmart Neighborhood Market – approximately one-quarter the size of a Walmart Supercenter – not only brings affordable fresh food and jobs to the community, but provides local residents a new, convenient option for grocery shopping needs, including pharmaceutical services.
“We are ready to serve you as our patients when you visit our pharmacy,” said Pharmacist Lang Luong.
Pharmacy team members are available to answer product and prescription questions and customers may also ask about health and wellness solutions.
The Walmart Neighborhood Market format opened in 1998. Today, there are more than 250 Walmart Neighborhood Market stores nationwide, with 30 in California.
The new store includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy, water consumption and minimize waste.
All internally illuminated and exterior building signage uses LED lighting and there are highly-efficient and low-flow toilets and faucets reducing water use in the restrooms.
Also, the store will operate recycling programs and promote sustainable product purchases.
“We're pleased to welcome Walmart Neighborhood Market to Stanton,” Shawver said. “In the past few months, the store and its associates have already begun being involved in the community, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with Walmart.”
