>> News Index

Shenzhen, April 29th, 2004 – Today, right before Labor Day public holiday, Wal-Mart announces the grand opening of its thirty-seventh store in China. Wal-Mart Supercenter Bao’an Qianjin Store is Wal-Mart’s eleventh store in Shenzhen and also it is Wal-Mart’s second store outside Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Joe Hatfield, CEO & President of Wal-Mart Asia and government officials from Bao’an District attend the opening ceremony. At the ceremony, Wal-Mart announces to donate RMB100,000 to Bao’an Welfare Center for the establishment of a clinic to cure the needy orphans and lonely seniors for free.

Wal-Mart Supercenter Bao’an Qianjin Store is located in Anhua Industrial Park, Qianjin Road, Zone 35, Bao’an District. It has a business area of 17,000 square meters with parking lots for 150 vehicles and provides over 20,000 kinds of merchandise, including fresh food, frozen food, grocery, housewares, household chemicals, cosmetics, household electronic appliances, apparels, bedding and toys, etc. The store is equipped with the best refrigeration and preservation facilities to better guarantee the quality of fresh food. Considering the strong demand of volume purchase from factories nearby, Wal-Mart specially offers bulk purchase and delivery services. The service hotline is 27670560. Free shopping bus is also another service for customers’ convenience. The Wal-Mart Supercenter opens from 7:00 to 21:00.

At the ceremony the leader from Wal-Mart says that during the past eight years, Wal-Mart has gained popularity among Shenzhen citizens with its Every Day Low Price and friendly customer service, and has promoted the development of Shenzhen’s commerce and retailing industry. To Shenzhen citizens Wal-Mart equals low-priced merchandise of high quality and satisfaction guaranteed services. In the past, residents outside tthe Special Economic Zone had to take a long way to shop at Wal-Mart, and now Wal-Mart becomes a neighbor to Bao’an residents. Wal-Mart Supercenter Bao’an Qianjin Store will continue its Every Day Low Price operating philosophy and customers outside the Special Zone will enjoy the warm services by Wal-Mart associates and the fun of shopping at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart will continue to make efforts in promoting the development of Shenzhen’s Economy.

Having long-term commitment in Good Works to the community, Wal-Mart donates RMB100, 000 to Bao’an Welfare Center for the establishment of a clinic to cure the needy orphans and lonely seniors for free.

Wal-Mart opened its first Supercenter and SAM’S CLUB in Shenzhen in 1996. Since then, it has opened 37 stores in 18 cities, including Shenzhen, Kunming, Fuzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Shantou, Dongguan, Harbin, Changchun, Shenyang, Changsha, Beijing, Nanchang, Jinan, Qingdao, Tianjin, Nanjing and Nanning. Now it has 32 Supercenters, 3 SAM’S CLUBS and 2 Neighborhood Markets.

Wal-Mart promotes the corporate culture of “ Respect for the Individual, Service to Our Customers and Strive for Excellence” and is committed to providing high quality low priced products and warm and friendly service to customers. Wal-Mart procures over USD15 billion of merchandise from China on direct and indirect basis in 2003, making positive contributions to China’s economic and foreign trade development. Wal-Mart also takes an active role in welfare causes. Since 1997, Wal-Mart China has donated over RMB9.3 million to social welfare agencies, education endeavor including Hope Schools, and disaster relief agencies.

In 2003 Wal-Mart achieved global sales of USD256.3 billion and topped the Fortune Global 500 for three consecutive years and topped “American’s Most Admired Companies” for two consecutive years. It was also named as one of the “Most Admired Companies” and the “Best Companies to Work for” in many countries. At present Wal-Mart has more than 1.5 million associates worldwide and operates over 5,000 stores in the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, South Korea, Germany and the UK.