Gallery: Natchez Walmart unveils renovations with big reopening event
Published on Friday, November 10, 2023 at 2:43 p.m.
NATCHEZ — There’s been a lot of change inside the Natchez Walmart, enough to warrant a “grand re-opening” ceremony and ribbon cutting Friday morning.
Store officials say innovative renovations have been made to improve the Walmart shopper experience, from inside the store to the online order pick-up lane.
For a moment, you might forget you’re inside the Natchez Walmart and think you’ve walked through the entrance to Baton Rouge or Jackson.
However, at the store’s entrance, customers are greeted by a mural depicting Natchez depicting the Mississippi River and a “Welcome to Historic Natchez” sign.
The mural was created by an anonymous local artist, store manager Leslie Mongo said.
Going further into the store, the layout of the clothing department has been changed to resemble a department store with mannequins lined up along the walls. Renovations to the cash register and grocery section give the store a fresh, modern look you’d expect to find in a big city.
The renovations are part of an upgrade of 117 Walmart stores nationwide, with additional stores planned for 2024.
Walmart has invested more than $500 million in changes to these supercenters, each featuring new interior and exterior paint and signage, a new checkout design, expanded pharmacies, interactive displays and digital touchpoints, and stores. gave more space to soften the atmosphere. It’s crowded and easy to navigate.
Renovations also involve a lot of rearranging, so regular customers may find their items in different locations than usual.
But while you’re looking for what you’re looking for, you can admire the renovated exterior and other items on the shelves, or simply ask an employee for help, one employee said.
Before Friday’s ribbon cutting, the Natchez Walmart recognized team members with more than 30 years of experience working at the store.
Team spirit was on display before and after Friday’s ceremony, with employees smiling and participating in in-store chants.
Natchez Walmart also presented two $1,000 checks to Monica’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that supports cancer patients, and the Natchez-Adams County Council on Aging.
“As a company, we strive to serve the community through donations,” Mongo said. “My goal for the next year is to reach out to city leaders to get funding and different resources to the community, because we are here for the community and we want to make a difference.”
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated more than $8.1 million in cash and in-kind donations to local Mississippi nonprofits in fiscal year 2023, store officials said.
For more information, visit corporate.walmart.com.