Wal-Mart cometh

A new full-service Wal-Mart will open its doors Wednesday morning in Spokane Valley immediately after at 7:30 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony. The 147,785-square-foot building is located at 5500 E. Sprague Ave.

The store, which will employ about 350 people, will be open 24 hours a day. It will include a garden center, a bakery, a deli, fresh produce, liquor and a pharmacy. Wal-Mart is also leasing space to a Subway restaurant, a hair salon and a nail salon.

“It is our typical large format store that offers one-stop shopping,” said Wal-Mart senior manager of community affairs Rachel Wall

During the ceremony Wal-Mart will hand out checks to local nonprofits and other organizations. Greater Spokane Meals on Wheels and Spokane Valley Partners will each receive $2,000; Orchard Elementary School, Hearth Homes, the SCRAPS Hope Foundation and Toys for Tots will receive $1,000 each.

Wal-Mart likes to support organizations that help fight hunger and provide services for women and families, Wall said.

“We also look for organizations that matter to our customers and associates,” she said. “Every store has a local giving budget that’s annual.”

There is already a Wal-Mart store in Spokane Valley on Broadway Avenue just east of Sullivan Road. Wall said Wal-Mart wanted a location closer to residents who live on the west end of the city.

“I think it was an opportunity to be closer to our customers, to provide a more convenient location,” she said. “It presented an opportunity to be part of the solution for new jobs.”

Wal-Mart commissioned an economic study that showed that Spokane Valley residents tend to do their retail shopping within the city. The study also found that Spokane Valley’s senior population has risen 38.5 percent since 2005.

Wal-Mart now has 18,000 employees in Washington state and the majority of those are in full-time positions, Wall said. The average wage for full-time hourly employees in Washington state is $13 per hour.