Walmart Supercenter employees celebrate remodeled facility

Dozens of employees from the Walmart Supercenter at Kings Crossing gathered June 16 to celebrate the grand re-opening of the store following a three-month remodel.

The mood was festive at the outdoor program, which featured speeches, a rendition of the National Anthem sung by an employee, corporate donations to local organizations, recognition of longtime Walmart associates, a ribbon cutting and the Walmart store #5973 cheer.

Walmart's market manager (l.) and store manager (r.) join longtime associates in cutting the ribbon.

Market manager Clint Miller, who oversees several Walmart locations in Fairfax County, Washington, D.C. and Maryland, praised store workers for an “outstanding job” in turning over the store in 12 weeks. The remodel included the installation of new front-end technologies at the registers and back-room upgrades to support the store’s digital presence and in-home delivery service, said Miller.

Store inventory also was updated to better reflect the needs of newcomers moving into the Kings Crossing/Penn Daw community and beyond. The inventory change involved increasing the availability of groceries and consumables, as well as in-home décor, and reducing stock of less in-demand items like paint and hardware, sporting goods and outdoor living/garden center items, which are in higher demand at other store locations.

The check-out area at the Walmart Supercenter has brand-new technologies at the registers.

Miller said he’d participated in many remodels during his 32 years with the company. “Most stores don’t run these kinds of numbers during a project like you just went through,” he told employees. “You should be really proud that you were able to protect your business, take care of your customers, grow your market share and present the customers of Fairfax County with basically a new Walmart store.”

Located at 6303 Richmond Highway where it anchors the Kings Crossing shopping center, the Walmart Supercenter first opened to the public back in October 2010. Holly Dougherty, executive director of the Mount Vernon Springfield Chamber of Commerce, asked Walmart employees how many had been there on opening day (answer: a handful of them) and said she was there too.

“This store has proved to be a really important part of the community,” said Dougherty. “We appreciate all that you do.”

More fresh food items, like these ones at the Walmart Supercenter, may become available at the Hybla Valley and Kingtowne locations following remodels next year.

More changes are to come at the Walmart Supercenter, Miller told On the MoVe. “We’ll be expanding our pick-up and digital area again, probably in the next three months, so we can serve all the customers moving into this area for in-home delivery,” he said.

The other Walmart locations at 7910 Richmond Highway and in Kingstowne are slated to have remodeling projects next year, said Miller. Those projects likely will be longer in duration as they will include the addition of a full line of fresh grocery items, he said.