Neighborhood Market in Bentonville a Milestone for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Northwest Arkansas

by Paul Gatling ([email protected]) August 30, 2013 10:55 am 272 views 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opened its 100th store in Arkansas this week when it unveiled a Neighborhood Market in Bentonville.

The 42,000-SF store opened Wednesday at the corner of Arkansas Highway 12 and Southwest I Street.

That part of the city is growing rapidly in population, and Mayor Bob McCaslin said he was excited about the new store as an added amenity for residents.

“We consider this investment a great compliment,” McCaslin said in a news release. “Walmart must believe in the future as we do or they would not build. The residents of southwest Bentonville will welcome the opportunity to shop closer to their homes.”

The store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will create up to 95 full- and part-time jobs.

The first Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in 1998, and today there are approximately 250 Neighborhood Market stores nationwide, according to a news release.

Petra Huntsinger, the store manager, has worked at a number of stores throughout Arkansas including Searcy, Jacksonville, Conway, Hot Springs, Bentonville and Rogers.

She began her Walmart career 14 years ago in Ozark as an hourly associate in the jewelry department.