It’s not something you’d expect to see outside of a Walmart.
“This morning we had 30 people waiting in line,” says Crystal Truax, the manager of the new Walmart in the south end of Guelph.
The new store has taken over the location of the former Target store on Stone Road. When it closed down last year, it left an opportunity for the retail giant to open a second store in the city.
“Our other Guelph store has been very successful. We’re just grateful to be on this side of town to provide it to the customers that maybe couldn’t get to that location,” says Truax.
Residents are happy to have more shopping options in the south end as well.
“(It’s) great for us. We live at the south end and we don’t have to travel across town now,” says Guelph resident Julie Hughes. “I really like it because it’s wide open.”
This location is also something new for Walmart, as it is their first ‘innovation’ store in Canada.
“This store just brings a different shopping experience for our customers,” says Truax. “We have more of a contemporary feel, we’ve introduced lots of new organic items into the store, and we’re really trying to appease the customer.”
The store also brings with it 170 new jobs to Guelph.
“We have a brand new building here that is creating jobs and choice for the citizens of Guelph,” says Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie. “That’s a very positive thing for our community.”
It’s even helped out some of those people who lost their jobs with the closing of Target. Truax says some people who previously worked at that store were able to get jobs at Walmart.
With reporting by Alexandra Pinto
