Wal-Mart celebrates grand opening in Carpentersville
The highly anticipated Wal-Mart Supercenter in Carpentersville opened its doors early Wednesday to large crowds of shoppers, community members and village officials.
Red, white and blue balloon columns lined the aisles, cheerleaders greeted customers at the door, and dozens of guests and store associates packed into the produce section during the store's grand opening ceremony.
“It's a very exciting day for the community,” store manager Phil Armstrong said. “We know you're always looking to build a better tomorrow, and we hope we can make that a reality today.”
The 183,000-square-foot Carpentersville store at 365 Lake Marian Road is open 24 hours and offers a full grocery store with a deli and bakery, a full-service pharmacy, a vision center and general merchandise.
Wal-Mart announced its relocation to Carpentersville from its East Dundee store about four years ago. In the initial planning stages, company representatives set a December 2016 target opening date, Village President Ed Ritter said, but the project moved along more rapidly than expected.
The store employs 320 people, about half of whom moved from the East Dundee store.
Ritter said he believes Wal-Mart's opening could be the beginning of the revitalization of the east side of the village.
“Carpentersville has become a better and better community in a lot of ways, in infrastructure and so forth,” he said. “This is the culmination right here.”
As a result of Wal-Mart's relocation to Carpentersville, developers have already expressed interest in nearby properties, including the outlots in front of the supercenter, Village Manager Mark Rooney said.
During the grand opening, Armstrong presented $2,500 checks to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dundee Township and FISH Food Pantry before Wal-Mart and village officials participated in the ribbon cutting.
“We believe the store reflects the needs and desires of our community,” Armstrong said. “We hope that our Carpentersville store will be part of that solution for local customers who want more affordable, convenient grocery and pharmacy options close to home and close to work.”