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Business & Tech

Full-Scale Grocery Store, Electronics Makes Randall Road Wal-Mart A Super Store

The grand opening is at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28, and the "Family Fun Day" is set for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31.

Here's a sneak peek at the offerings of the newly expanded Wal-Mart Supercenter at 801 N. Randall Road in Batavia.

It's an impressive upgrade, to say the least.

The expansion adds approximately 30,000 square feet, elevating it to a Wal-Mart supercenter and offering customers a full grocery department for the first time. The grocery department includes fresh produce, prepared foods, deli, bakery, dry goods, and it's an understatement to say "and a lot more."

"The new Wal-Mart supercenter will give the city of Batavia an economic shot in the arm by generating tax revenue and creating good-paying jobs," said city of Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke.

The expanded Wal-Mart adds about 150 new jobs. The store is open 24 hours a day.

The expanded Batavia Wal-Mart will unveil the changes Wednesday, Aug. 28, after a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m.

Store Manager Mike Morrison said the store isn't offering fabulous deals for the grand opening because that's not the way Wal-Mart rolls.

"We offer ever-day low prices, and we believe in the Every-Day Low Prices theme," he said.

Morrison has managed grocery stores in the past, and he's confident that what Wal-Mart is offering will stack up to the quality you expect from area grocery stores. The store has a "low touch or one-touch" philosophy about produce, meaning it comes off the truck and straight to the aisles to limit damage and ensure freshness.

Thermometers posted on the freezes of the endless aisles of frozen foods show the temperature for all to see—and it's cold enough in there that the media-relations tour guide wears a sweater on a 95-degree day.

Most of the rest of the store is laid out similarly to the non-superstore version, but the store has upgraded its electronics section to include a wall of flat-screen televisions and the latest computer equipment, including iPods and iPads and the array of Apple products you might expect to see at a Best Buy.

It's got a pharmacy, automotive department, clothes, shoes, full liquor store and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week in an effort to become "a one-stop shopping convenience" for residents of Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, North Aurora and the area.

"Customers have been asking for this, and we're delivering," Morrison said.

A second celebration is scheduled for noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31. "A Big Family Welcome" will give customers a chance to meet Morrison and enjoy family activities such as face painting, cupcake decorating and free food samples while supplies last.

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