By Lee Provost

lprovost@daily-journal.com

815-937-3364

 

A whopping 389,710 square feet of retail space officially opened today when the ribbons of new Wal-Mart Supercenter stores in Bradley and Kankakee were cut and shoppers were welcomed. "This will be a huge 'wow' factor with these stores as compared to what the community has experienced with Wal-Mart," said Brian Insley, manager of the 186,000-square-foot Kankakee Wal-Mart. "The company has put in a lot of time and thought with these stores. I believe the community will be pleased."

 

Each store held a 7 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. They opened to the public by 7:30 a.m. Both feature the latest in design and offerings for shoppers. Insley said the Kankakee store has several options that are unique to the community it serves.

 

Insley noted his store is carrying a line of paddle boats, kayaks and canoes -- a first for the company. The store also features an expanded line of fishing equipment -- about 30 percent more product that normal -- to capitalize on the popularity of the Kankakee River. "We've tried to tailor our store to this community. This is a river community," he said. Each Wal-Mart Supercenter has about 33 percent of its floor space devoted to grocery products, something that will stiffen local competition. The addition of these stores brings an additional 125,000 square feet of grocery shopping space to the region. Comparing the closed Bradley Wal-Mart to its replacement, Tina Drane, store co-manager, said the new store's electronics and sporting goods departments are at least three times the size, while the garden department is five to six times larger.

 

Both stores are also equipped with a Tire & Lube Express. The stores have been constructed with an eye on the environment. The concrete flooring of each store was made up of 25 percent old cinder block and concrete debris. The stores also feature skylights -- new for Wal-Mart -- that will allow daylight electrical use to be lowered based on the amount of sunshine coming through the rooftop windows. The frozen food sections also feature lighting that adjust to the customers. If there are no customers in the display area, the lights begin to dim and turn off. The lights re-emerge when a new shopper is sensed. "This is almost like a hybrid store. The concepts implemented here are really cutting edge," Insley said.

 

Store Facts

 

Inventory -- Kankakee, $5.2 million to $5.5 million of on-hand merchandise; Bradley, $6 million

 

Square feet -- Kankakee, 186,000; Bradley, 203,710

 

Employees -- Kankakee, 350; Bradley, 450

 

Hours -- Open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Closed on Christmas Day.

 

Pay scale -- Average hourly wage, $11.32

 

Community Contribution -- Company donated $18,000 to each community. The Kankakee donation was divided between the Kankakee Public Library, Kankakee Community Development Corp., The Salvation Army and the YWCA. The Bradley donation was divided among the Bourbonnais Township Park District, Bourbonnais Police and Fire, Bradley Police and Fire, Hospice of Kankakee Valley and Child Network.

 

Source: Serafin & Associates