Walmart Canada opens first of nine Maritime supercenters

Saint John, New Brunswick -- Walmart Canada grand-opened a 129,000-sq.-ft. superstore in Saint John, New Brunswick, on Friday, the first of nine “Maritime Supercenters” planned for the country by Jan. 31, 2014, said the retailer.



The newly redeveloped store, which signals the launch of Walmart Canada’s Maritime sourcing program for produce, features a fresh grocery section that will serve as a prototype for all Maritime supercenters.



"We are extremely proud to begin offering a full assortment of fresh groceries to our customers in New Brunswick," said John Brea, VP, Walmart Atlantic Canada. The retailer has listed 24 new grocery suppliers located in the Maritimes for items from dry grocery to fruit and vegetables to meat and seafood, and will continue meeting with potential new suppliers as it expands its grocery offering.



The store represents the first of nine Maritime supercenters, but also one of 37 supercenter projects planned across Canada for the company's current fiscal year. The 37 projects include building new stores and expanding, remodeling or relocating existing stores and represent an investment of more than $450 million in the Canadian economy.



The Saint John East Walmart originally opened as a Walmart discount store in 2001. An updated design features easy-to-navigate aisles with directional signage and a bright interior color palette defining the store's merchandise areas. The store features LED exterior signage, waste diversion streams including paper and plastic, and sells environmentally-preferable products.