June 21 is the date of the grand re-opening of Walmart in Brownwood, and plenty of work will need to be completed before then.
“Everything is getting revamped,” according to Deal.
One of the biggest, and most notable projects at the moment, is the removal of tile on the floor as in its place will be the concrete patrons now see upon their visits.
“All the flooring is coming up,” Deal said. “The tile flooring will not be there anymore, it will be the cement look with the gloss on it. Throughout the entire store the floor will change.”
Construction is also taking place on the west end where a new online grocery section will be added to the store.
“The biggest face lift you can see from the outside is we’re getting an online grocery building, that’s what they’re building on the side where you see the gated area,” Deal said. “That’s going to be a whole new building for our online grocery. The parking spaces that used to be there won’t be there anymore.”
But the change that will likely have the most lasting impact on customers will come up front.
“The front end, where we have the registers, we’re going to have more self checkouts than manned registers,” Deal said. “We’re going to eight manned registers, which is called an FX1/FX2 layout.”
The pharmacy, meanwhile, is increasing in registers from two to five, and there will also be a small immunization office added, according to Deal.
The sporting goods department is making considerable changes as well.
“The counter is moving and where we have the guns now, that’s expanding,” Deal said. “There will be more hunting equipment and less exercise equipment in the store. Stationary bikes and treadmills, things like that, we won’t carry in the store, it will be an online service.”
Also, furniture will receive a more prominent display going forward, and mannequins will be used to model apparel.
“The clothing will be upgraded and we’ll have mannequins for apparel to display clothing, which they are calling the apparel of the future,” Deal said. “And the furniture is going to have more of a Macy’s or Dillard’s type set up.”
The photo lab is also moving out to the sales floor and away from its former home inside the electronics department.
Significant changes are coming to the restrooms as well.
“We’re getting all new restrooms, along with two mother’s rooms in the store now,” Deal said.
Areas in which work has already taken place include the bakery and some of the grocery section, according to Deal.
“We have new lighting in our fresh areas like the bakery,” Deal said. “They’ve revamped the lights and the wall there so as the customers are walking in they can see that. And while they’re not putting in new refrigeration cases, they are going to reskin all of them. The roughness and skid marks that you might see on them, they won’t be that way anymore.”
A mural of the history of Brownwood, painted by a local artist, will be added the grocery side entrance.
Outside, the front of the store will receive a paint job as well.
“The color is changing and the spark will be repainted,” Deal said.
Around 55 people are working on the project to make sure its complete by the June 21 deadline.
“We hired 20 people to come in and help and a third party brought in about 30 people,” Deal said. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”
