First Calif. Wal-Mart becomes a Supercenter

LOS ANGELES California’s first Wal-Mart store, which has been open for 17 years, has moved across the street and officially opened as a Supercenter on Wednesday. The Supercenter, located on Lancaster Boulevard, features a variety of international food selections to reflect the diversity of the community.

According to Store Manager James Gunter, the new Lancaster Supercenter is a complete one-stop shopping destination designed to provide products and services that reflects the community’s multi-cultural needs. The 216,595 square-foot Supercenter features signature cakes and artisan breads in the bakery, a full-service delicatessen, a frozen food section, meat, seafood, dairy, a variety of leafy lettuce, vegetables and summer fruit in the extensive fresh produce section, organic selections, as well as a complete liquor department.  

Aside from an expanded grocery section, the new Supercenter also features general merchandise departments including the family apparel department, health and beauty aids, and accessories and fine jewelry. Customers will also find an expanded lawn and garden center, and can view a full line of electronics showcasing the latest in computers, MP3 players, high-definition and plasma televisions.

In addition to expanding the products and services offered at the Supercenter, according to Gunter, the store will add a significant number of jobs to the community. The Supercenter plans to hire approximately 350 associates and has received more than 3,000 applications for the new positions, said Gunter. The store plans to employ approximately 600 total associates upon opening, most of which will be full-time positions.       

As of June 2007, Wal-Mart employed 71,090 associates in the state of California.  Including the newest Wal-Mart Supercenter in Lancaster, the company currently owns and operates 27 Supercenters in the state.