Walmart Market Opens in Orange Beach on Wednesday

The Walmart Market opens in Orange Beach May 18, with a 55,976-square-foot store designed to offer quick access to low-cost groceries, prescriptions and household products.

Doors to the new store will open at 8 a.m., Wednesday following a 7:30 a.m. ceremony. Local leaders are excited about Walmart opening a new store in Orange Beach.

"We are very excited that Walmart has invested in Orange Beach with its new Walmart Market location," said Linda Whitlock, president and CEO of the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce. "Bringing almost 100 jobs to this community, filling retail space and providing a new shopping experience to our residents and tourists is a positive infusion to our economy, and we have great expectations for its success."

The store will carry a full line of groceries, including fresh produce, frozen foods, meat and dairy products. For those on the go, the deli offers hot rotisserie chicken, sliced deli meats, gourmet cheeses and pre-packaged foods.

"With our smaller format, our store is perfect for those on the go. Whether they're stocking up or need to pick up just a few items, our customers will be able to find what they need quickly and easily," said store manager Petesy Baker. "Our customers will be able to find familiar brands and local products at great values, right in their own neighborhood." Like most Walmart store managers, Baker started her career with Walmart as an hourly associate. She joined the company in 1999, working in the bakery department in Foley.

Additional areas include stationery, paper goods, pet products and hardware items. Customers can also purchase seasonal merchandise such as, fishing rods, reels and fishing licenses. The store will be open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

The Walmart Market plans to employ approximately 90 associates.

As part of Walmart's commitment to the communities in which it operates, grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented during the grand-opening celebration. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed $2 billion to U.S. hunger relief efforts through 2015.

Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony. Jim Robe will offer an invocation, and Sarah Lindley, a Gulf Shores High School student, will perform the national anthem. The Gulf Shores High School ROTC will present the colors.