Walmart in Fergus Falls (Derek Sidian, KBRF Radio News)
Fergus Falls, MN – Walmart is rolling out their new standards for store design, and Fergus Falls is the next store to get in on the action.
While most of the changes are going to be new paint and signage, there are a couple of major changes that customers can expect from the store.
Store Manager John Wakeman says that among the changes, one of the biggest will be the pharmacy moving to the side of the store opposite the grocery section, which is where it was located when the store first opened.
He says the move is to make the store layout more similar to the other stores in the company.
Wakeman states that they will also be upgrading the self checkout section to “Walmart’s latest and greatest design,” as the current status quo is “very inefficient.”
More self checkouts will be added to match what the majority of other stores have, but Wakeman adds that there will still be around 20 “belted” registers for employees to help check out customers.
The final major change customers will notice is the removal of the white tile floors.
According to Wakeman, most Walmart stores have concrete floors with a polish coating.
He adds, “White tile floors in a Minnesota winter are very hard to maintain. It’s a tremendous amount of work, takes a tremendous amount of labor hours to maintain the floors, which is challenging, and it’ll be a much nicer experience for our customers.”
Other changes include more grocery options, mannequins in clothing, and houseware displays that show how products might look in a home.
Wakeman says that most of the work is going to happen overnight, however, “They [the customers] will see it though. They will feel it, because there’s things going to be moving around. As we tear floor out, we have to clear that area out to tear the floor out, and get it prepped and set to go, so things will be moving around.”
He appreciates customers’ patience over the next few months as these changes are being made, “We have a lot of very loyal customers to our store. I think it’s going to be really fun for them to see something so shiny and new, but yet, still the same store, the same great people who work here.”
The remodeling process will begin on July 15th, with the goal to have the “re-grand opening” in early November.