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A Wal-Mart Supercenter, armed with 493 employees and innumerable temptations, opens to 700 consumers.
By MOLLY MOORHEAD
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 19, 2002
ZEPHYRHILLS -- Beneath one giant roof in Zephyrhills, ambitious consumers can now grab a McDonald's Big Mac and inspect the latest in camping gear. They also can get a manicure, fill a prescription, top off their car's gas tank, buy a decorated birthday cake, pick out some early Christmas decorations, ship a box to China and ride away on a new bike.
That's what it means when a Wal-Mart Supercenter opens: low-cost, one-stop shopping.
The supercenter, essentially a jumbo Wal-Mart with its own grocery store, opened Wednesday morning on U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills with great fanfare.
Red, white and blue balloons decorated a stage where company representatives thanked the community for its support, got store associates fired up and implored the crowd of about 700 eager shoppers to "spend a lot of money today."
No doubt they did just that.
The doors opened at 8 a.m. By 9:15, the parking lot was full and cars circled in search of spaces.
Fe Magsipoc said she usually shops at Kash n' Karry but decided to give Wal-Mart a try.
"I want to see the prices of the food," said the Dade City resident, who pronounced the supercenter's produce "pretty good."
The grocery section, dwarfed inside the cavernous 205,000-square-foot building, features a meat counter, deli and bakery in addition to dry and frozen foods.
A quick price comparison with a nearby Publix and Kash n' Karry indicates that no one has cornered the market.
A gallon of 2 percent milk at Wal-Mart sold for $2.89 Wednesday. Publix had that beat at $2.79. A 12-pack of Coca-Cola was going for $3 at Kash n' Karry; Wal-Mart was charging $4.98. A dozen large eggs sold for 99 cents at Kash n' Karry and 74 cents at Wal-Mart. Publix had eggs on sale for 69 cents.
But Wal-Mart had its competitors beat on cereal. A 1-pound, 4-ounce box of Cheerios cost $4.69 at Publix and $4.49 at Kash 'n Karry. Wal-Mart charged $3.57.
Mickey Clerc, company spokesman for Winn-Dixie, another area grocer, said he doesn't think his store will lose business.
"When competition comes in, if we've done a good job in satisfying the needs of our customers, we expect they'll continue to shop with us," Clerc said.
Publix spokesman Lee Brunson said his company will continue to focus on the things it's known for: high quality products, clean stores and service.
Kmart, also on U.S. 301, doesn't sell groceries but competes with Wal-Mart as a discount retailer. Company spokesman Stephen Pagnani said exclusive brands such as Joe Boxer, Kathy Ireland and, primarily, Martha Stewart Everyday make the store different from its competitors.
"We look to set ourselves apart with our branding," Pagnani said.
He added that a new store will benefit customers by making both retailers price-competitive.
Barbara Yorgan of Zephyrhills liked the notion of competitive prices and more choices for shopping.
"(The supercenter) will bring other things; I expect Target to follow," she said. "I think it'll be great."
Yorgan said she was disappointed in the advertising leading up to the opening. She said she had heard nothing about it until receiving a flier in the mail Tuesday.
Janet and Harlan Richter agreed there should have been more publicity and said they received nothing in the mail. The Zephyrhills couple, who left the store with two or three bags, thought the food prices were high but liked the convenient checkouts and volume of merchandise.
"We'll come back if we see the ads," Janet Richter said.
Supercenter employees, cloaked in blue vests with "How may I help you?" printed on the back, waited at every turn to meet and greet shoppers. The store employs 493 people. Several said the five weeks of work leading up to Wednesday's opening went smoothly.
Angela Miller, the toy department manager who has been with the company four years, built shelves and counters to get the store ready.
"Everybody had a lot of blood, sweat and tears putting it together," she said. "It's been an awesome learning experience."
Wal-Mart, which opened 18 stores nationwide Wednesday, went to great lengths to please customers who showed up on opening day.
Food samples were plentiful in the grocery department. Race car driver Kenny Wallace's No. 23 Hills Bros. Coffee Dodge was on display in the parking lot. Sheet cakes were being cut up and handed out near the entrance.
And when one cake was consumed, another appeared.
-- Molly Moorhead covers the city of Zephyrhills, crime in east pasco, east Pasco community news and religion. She can be reached at (352) 521-5757, ext. 29, or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6108, then 29. Her e-mail address is moorhead@sptimes.com.