New Club focuses on sustainability, selection and value

EL MONTE, Calif., April 20, 2009 – The latest in warehouse club shopping will debut in El Monte, when the new Sam’s Club opens its doors at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 7. Conveniently located at 4901 N. Santa Anita Ave. at the corner of Santa Anita and Lower Azusa Road., the Club re-design incorporates sustainable features including daylight-harvesting skylights and an exterior bio cell water collection system. The freshly designed club will also make regular donations to local food banks. Business, Advantage and Collegiate Sam’s Club Members looking for ways to save in today’s economy will find exceptional values on products from office supplies to fresh produce and $4 generic prescriptions.

This facility, originally opened in 1987 and acquired by Sam’s Club in 1994, was razed June of last year to make room for a larger facility with a wider selection of merchandise. Members will notice that many of the products and services in the offering are specifically designed to meet the needs of the local community including a wider selection of specialty Asian and Latino products.

“Our local team is very excited to welcome back loyal members and introduce new small business owners and shoppers from the surrounding communities to our new facility” Club Manager Becky Jewett.

Familiar Faces will Greet Shoppers
The Club plans to employ approximately 215 associates. Sam’s Club worked with the 160 founding associates to place them at other locations during construction. Club Manager Becky Jewett started her career in 1990 as a cashier (prior to the Sam’s Club acquisition of the Pace warehouse club). She was named general manager in 2005 and is a resident of Corona.

Grand-Opening Ceremony to Feature Celebrities, Product Demonstrations.
The Sam’s Club, located at 4901 Santa Anita Avenue in El Monte, grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony begins Thursday, May 7 at 8:30 a.m. A special sneak preview and grant presentation will take place Wednesday, May 6 at 4 p.m. Those shopping on grand-opening day will have the opportunity to see a number of celebrities among the best in their chosen fields. Chef Wolfgang Puck and exercise expert Denise Austin will make appearances, as well as famed fresh mozzarella maker Mimmo Bruno.

El Monte Sam’s Club: Exceptional Value for Business, Home and Life
Jewett says the El Monte Sam’s Club will now offer a number of new amenities including a gas station, a pharmacy featuring $4 and $10 prescriptions as well as great deals on branded prescriptions, a full café and a larger deli department featuring rotisserie chicken. The Club also focused its marketing efforts to cater its merchandise selection to the immediate area, by adding more Asian items, increasing the amount of Latino foods and providing a larger selection of high-end products including electronics, patio sets, barbecue grills, furniture and sports equipment.

Sam’s Club Membership provides superior access to merchandise and services for the business owner, homeowner or college student seeking the best value all under one roof. Small business owners and operators will also have access to additional services to help increase productivity and profitability including health insurance solutions, merchant and credit card processing and marketing solutions and numerous other benefits for their business provided by third party vendors.

Sam’s Club Commitment to Sustainability
In keeping with the Sam’s Club commitment to the environment, the new Club was constructed with energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste.

One of the ways the new Sam’s Club eliminates energy waste is with daylight-harvesting skylights that reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. While Sam’s is not open 24 hours, it is occupied 24 hours a day. During the hours when the store is closed, the light level is reduced by more than 50 percent, also reducing energy levels used. LED lighting throughout the club, including in the cooler/freezer box doors and jewelry counter, operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent light. (For a full list of sustainable features see the Sustainability Fact Sheet).

Sam’s Club Celebrates Community Commitment
As part of Sam’s Club commitment to give back to the communities it serves, associates from the El Monte Club have selected several local organizations to receive a total of $19,000 in grants from the Walmart Foundation including Junior Achievement of Southern California, America Cancer Society and the City of El Monte. (For a full list of grant recipients see the Club Fact Sheet below.)

The new Sam’s Club will also fight hunger in the area by making regular product donations to local food banks. The program is part of a partnership between Sam’s Club and Feeding America. Sam’s Club locations across the nation regularly donate perishable food items to area hunger relief agencies, helping fight hunger in their communities and reducing food waste. Last year, Sam’s Club donated more than 13 million pounds to Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief charity.

Gifts for Every Occasion
The new El Monte Sam’s Club offers a treasure-hunt shopping experience complete with an extensive inventory of more than 4,000 affordable essential and luxury items just in time for Mother’s Day. Some “must haves” include designer apparel, purses, sunglasses, quality jewelry, crystal and collectibles. For the home, fresh flowers, kitchen appliances, dinnerware and home accessories are also popular.

About Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club is a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT). The first Sam’s Club opened its doors in Midwest City, Okla., in 1983. Today, Sam’s Club serves more than 47 million U.S. Members with locations nationwide and in Brazil, China, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Sam’s Club offers exceptional values on merchandise and services for business owners and consumers. Online merchandise and Club information is available at www.samsclub.com.

Club Fact Sheet
El Monte Sam’s Club

Club Fast Facts

• Grand opening: Thursday, May 7, 8:30 a.m.
• Sneak Preview and presentation of $19,000 in community grants: Wednesday, May 6
• 4 p.m. social for El Monte, South El Monte, Rosemead, Arcadia, Temple City and Monrovia Chamber of Commerce members. 5 p.m. shopping and sneak peek for media, grant recipients, area dignitaries, Business Members, associates and their families.
• Address: 4901 N. Santa Anita Ave., El Monte, Calif.
• Club hours:
  • Gold Key hours for Business Members – 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. Mon. – Fri.; 7 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Sat.
  • All Memberships – 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Mon. – Fri.; 9:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sun.
• 134,724-square-foot Sam’s Club, an increase of 34,000 square feet.
• Sam’s Club purchased the warehouse club in 1994; closed in May 2008 for the renovation.
• The Club will employ approximately 215 associates; 45 new jobs due to the renovation.
• Club Manager Becky Jewett started her career at the El Monte warehouse club in 1990 as a cashier (prior to the Sam’s Club purchase of the Pace warehouse club). She was named general manager of the Sam’s Club in 2005.

Merchandise Mix

• Available products include electronics; computer software; mattresses; outdoor living furniture; office products; appliances; restaurant and foodservice supplies; vending and concession supplies; health, beauty and medical supplies; apparel; fitness equipment; toys; flowers; gifts and awards.
• Luxury items include designer sunglasses and handbags, jewelry, gourmet foods, wine and crystal and collectibles.
• The Club offers a gas station, full liquor sales, a pharmacy, a one-hour photo lab, tire and battery services, a bakery, a fresh floral department, a hearing aid center and a café.
• Members also enjoy healthcare, business, financial and personal services such as health and medical discount programs, roadside assistance, travel services, auto, boat and RV programs and cost effective merchant credit card processing solutions, provided by third party vendors.

Membership Options

• Advantage Membership - $40
• Business Membership - $35
• Advantage PLUS Membership - $100
• Business PLUS Membership - $100
• Collegiate Membership - $40, includes a $15 gift card and complimentary Membership

(Editor’s Note: For more detailed information on Membership options, visit any Sam’s Club location or samsclub.com.)

Community Contributions

• The Club will distribute $19,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations in celebration of its grand opening. Grant checks will be distributed to representatives of the charities at the May 6 Sneak Preview event. The recipients include:
  • American Cancer Society – Relay for Life
  • City of El Monte – Bike Rally
  • Jerry Ortiz Memorial Boxing and Fitness Center
  • Junior Achievement of Southern California
  • Kare Youth League
  • Orange County Coast Keepers

For more information

• Club Manager: Becky Jewett, 626-652-6901
• Sam’s Club information online: www.samsclub.com

Sustainability Fact Sheet
El Monte Sam’s Club

The El Monte Sam’s Club showcases the following sustainable features:

• Nine bio cells, located in the Club’s parking lot, will collect water runoff and drain the water into two underground infiltration systems to filter it from sediment and other impurities.
• The waste heat from the Refrigeration equipment is captured and used to heat the water for the kitchen prep areas of the Club.
• The floors of the new Club are natural concrete, reducing carpet and vinyl tile usage as well as the need for most chemical cleaners.
• A Home Efficiency Center focuses on merchandise customers can use to decrease their energy usage, such as LED light fixtures and Energy Star® appliances
• Energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in the freezer cases that generate minimal heat and use 50 percent less electricity than traditional fluorescent fixtures.
• Almost 200 skylights and an improved daylight harvesting/ skylight system that reduces consumption even more than in previous installations.
• During these hours when the store is closed, the light level is reduced by over 50 percent.
• More than 95 percent of the floor area in a Sam’s Club has a natural concrete finish. This represents a major reduction of carpet and vinyl tile finishes from other stores. This not only addresses environmental concerns with the manufacture and disposal of PVC, it also reduces the need for most chemical cleaners, wax, and wax strippers.
• The restroom sinks in the club use sensor-activated low-flow faucets. These faucets reduce water usage by 84 percent.
• The white TPO roof is an energy star qualified roof product and qualifies for LEED points in reducing the heat island effect. The high solar reflectivity of this membrane results in lowering the "cooling" load by about 10 percent.
• Closed loop CO2 secondary refrigeration system in the freezer cases and a closed loop secondary glycol system in the chilled food/beverage areas that significantly reduce conventional refrigerant charge and greenhouse gas impact and uses fewer materials such as copper piping
• A trench drain collects oil that might leak out onto our Auto Center floor into a monitored oil interceptor to capture oil preventing it from entering the municipal sewer system.
• Sam’s Club is designed and equipped to recycle tires, auto batteries, cardboard, single-use cameras, plastic waste and silver from photo lab.
• Rainwater harvesting from portion of rooftop to supplement landscape irrigation and club cooling system.

###