Wal-Mart, the giant next door, celebrted its 10 anniversary this weekend as a Kaua‘i institution. According to store manager Janie Whitehead, festivities began Friday with an in-house luncheon for the store’s employees, and then a big, daylong, public bash Saturday.
Wal-Mart, the giant next door, celebrted its 10 anniversary this weekend as a Kaua‘i institution.
According to store manager Janie Whitehead, festivities began Friday with an in-house luncheon for the store’s employees, and then a big, daylong, public bash Saturday.
Whitehead, who has been at the Kauai Wal-Mart for more than two years, said the greatest challenge during her tenure has been something akin to a mixed blessing.
“Our biggest challenge has been our increase in business. We’re receiving so much more merchandise, and there’s not always enough people (employees) available,” she said. “We do have a very good core group of associates, but it can be hard to fill entry-level positions,” she said.
Whitehead said that, currently, Wal-Mart has 303 full-time employees and 39 part-time employees, eight assistant managers, and one manager-in-training.
On average, it has more than 6,000 register transactions per day.
Whitehead said the food department, which has gotten bigger over the years, is number one overall in terms of store sales.
Since its inception 10 years ago, nothing has been added to the original concept of the store except customers and more and more merchandise, she said.
Whitehead, who jokingly calls her small space in the back of the cavernous store (with spare merchandise such as bicycles hanging from the ceiling) as the “executive offices,” said the 119,000 square-foot store has exceeded initial expectations.
“We’ve had more sales volume than expected,” she said, adding the building was getting a bit old. Plans are in the works for some refurbishment to the facility in September or October.
Whitehead said there is the possibility the store may expand, and that a large grocery department may be added in coming years.
While owners of small businesses lamented the arrival of Wal-Mart as something that would signal the end of the mom-and-pop store on the island, long-time reporters can’t recall one store-closing of a business during that time where the owners attributed their demise to the arrival of Wal-Mart.
While Wal-Mart’s arrival 10 years ago did force some business owners to refocus their efforts either into specialty items not carried by Wal-Mart or retooling to focus on more intense customer service, the fact is that Wal-Mart’s arrival has been good for businesses throughout Kaua‘i.
Except, possibly, where competition for the availability of scarce workers is concerned. Wal-Mart’s arrival has meant creation of more jobs not only in the store, but to vendors and others doing business with Wal-Mart leaders.
Leaders with the retail giant face the arrival of a possible rival in Costco, which is set to open in the near future.
“I’m sure it will have an effect, but I’m not sure what it will be,” she said. “We’ll have some customers in common, but they’re more of a wholesaler to small businesses and large families, and we will remain quicker (to get in and out of), and keep our prices competitive,” she said.
Whitehead, who had worked at other Hawai‘i Wal-Mart stores, said she is very happy on Kaua‘i, and would like to stay as long as possible.
Events planned for today, Saturday, Aug. 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., include in-store demonstrations, like tips on fishing poles and lures and a coloring contest in the sporting goods department; a lei-making contest in the crafts department, and an orchid-care seminar in the garden department.
Fashion shows will be in the women’s, men’s, infants, intimates and boys and girls departments, with associates and spouses and children participating.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the world’s largest retailer, with $285.2 billion in sales in the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2005.
Company leaders employ more than 1.6 million associates worldwide through more than 3,700 facilities in the United States and more than 1,600 units in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, China, Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom. More than 138 million customers per week visit Wal-Mart stores worldwide.
