It's been a busy couple of days on the Springfield retail scene, with today's opening of a second Sam's Club and yesterday's debut of a remodeled north-Springfield Walmart Supercenter.
The new Sam's Club, 745 W. Camino Alto, opened to members at 8:30 this morning. As part of the official grand opening, associates with the new Sam's Club will present a total of $20,000 to four organizations from the Wal-Mart Foundation, according to a news release. Burrell Behavioral Health, the Nixa Fire Protection District, Springfield-Greene County Parks and Recreation and the city of Republic Police Department each will receive $5,000.
Manager Jordan Adkins said the 135,000-square-foot Sam's Club employs 250 associates.
"Sam's Club offers great opportunities for college students, retirees wanting to stay active and those hoping to get in on the ground floor and rise up through the ranks of the company," Adkins said in a news release.
The store offers essential and luxury items as well as enhanced services, the release said. Prepared meals are available, and there is a pharmacy, as well as a photo lab, fresh floral department bakery, vision and hearing center, café and an on-site gas station with car wash. Sustainable features at the store, including light emitting diode lighting and daylight harvesting skylights, reduce energy use.
The car wash has sustainable features, as well, to cut energy and water consumption and minimize waste, according to a separate release. They include nontoxic cleaning products and environmentally friendly lighting features.
Annual Sam's Club membership fees start at $35 for businesses and $40 for individuals. The club's hours are 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
Meanwhile, the remodeled Walmart Supercenter at 2825 N. Kansas Expressway has a new layout, wider aisles, low-profile shelving, a brighter interior color scheme, enhanced lighting and easy-to-read signage. The 181,183-square-foot store originally opened in 1973, according to a news release. It is open 24 hours.
The remodel also expanded the electronics department and combined the Site-to-Store pickup area and photo lab. A new department, dubbed Celebration Station, features party supplies, greeting cards and giftwrap.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
