Sam's Club Set to Celebrate Grand Opening in St. Petersburg

ST.PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 170 newly hired Sam's Club associates and managers will join local residents and officials in welcoming St. Petersburg's newest Sam's Club location at a special grand opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 25.

Located at 1725 34th Street North, the new St. Petersburg Sam's Club offers members extraordinary savings on quality merchandise, members-only services and benefits. The new Pinellas location will be the 45^th Sam's Club location in Florida, and the third in the greater St. Petersburg area. Approximately 170 new jobs were created in St. Petersburg with the opening of the new Sam's Club.

"Not only is the new location a great addition to a revitalized 34th Street corridor, but we are happy to initiate a new corporate citizen to our community who shares with us our commitment to those who need help," said St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster. "Before even opening its doors, Sam's Club donated $45,000 to community organizations, including our schools, Police Department charities, the Metro Wellness Center, the Ronald McDonald House and more."

Sam's Club Supports Community Organizations
"I'm proud to be part of this new club and welcome members of the community to shop our grand opening and meet our new associates," said Sam's Club Manager Brandon Murray. "We have a passionate group of individuals here to help serve the needs of our members as well as volunteer to make St. Petersburg a better place to live and work."

Sam's Club associates from the St. Petersburg club will be presenting grants totaling $45,000 to a number of community organizations, including a special $20,000 grant for the Pinellas County School District "Pack-a-Sack" Program.

"We know a student's ability to learn can be impacted by challenges at home such as food insecurity," said Tari Connell, Managing Officer of School Social Work at Pinellas County Schools. "We are grateful for Sam's Club support for the Pack-a-Sack program, which provides food for children to take home every Friday. Each step we take to support all the needs of our students is a step toward their success."

"Fighting hunger is an extremely important cause in the eyes and hearts of our associates, and we are humbled to contribute to Pinellas County Schools in a meaningful way," said Murray.

The grant presentations will take place during a Preview Night Ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 3:30 p.m.

Additional grant recipients include:

• Pinellas County School District
• Court Appointed Special Advocacy of Pinellas County
• Helping Hands 4 St. Pete's Finest (Police Dept)
• Ronald McDonald House
• Metro Wellness Center
• DMG School Project (Glass Art for after school program)
• SPIFFS (St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society)

Sam's Club will also fight hunger in West Central Florida by making regular product donations to Feeding America Tampa, which last year served approximately 400,000 people in a 10 county service area including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Hernado, Citrus, Sumter, Highlands, Hardee and Manatee counties. The program is part of a partnership between Sam's Club and Feeding America. Sam's Club locations across the country regularly donate perishable food items to area hunger relief agencies, helping to fight hunger in their communities and reducing food waste.

New Club Brings Superior Products, Services and Fuel to Pinellas County
Opening in time for the holiday season, Sam's Club offer members savings on quality items needed for preparing the home, holiday entertaining and gift-giving opportunities, such as pre-lit trees, ornaments and LED lights, quality meats and home meal solutions, and unique toys, technology and appliances.

"I know our members will enjoy preparing for the holidays with some of the special items featured in our new club," said Murray. "We look forward to hosting events for the community throughout the holiday season including the Holiday Taste of Sam's Club Nov. 16-18 and our Black Friday Savings Event."

In addition, the new 140,000-square-foot Sam's Club debuts a pharmacy, open to members and the public, featuring $4 and $10 generic prescriptions and savings on branded prescriptions. Free health screenings for blood pressure, BMI and other health indicators will be offered in the club throughout grand opening weekend. Free health screenings open to the public will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 27.

The new club will also have an optical center and Sam's Club Hearing Aid Center, offering premium technology in hearing aid and personal listening devices alongside the care of a certified audiologist.

The St. Petersburg Sam's Club offers a new digital one-hour photo center which can produce poster size prints, greeting cards and personalized photo gifts. The 12-pump fuel station, exclusive to Sam's Club members, also offers the convenience of diesel fuel. Members will also appreciate the connection center for cellular phones, tire and battery installation services, as well as 24-hour technical support for the latest technology for home and office, name-brand apparel, and designer handbags and jewelry.

Added Savings with Instant Savings
Sam's Club Plus Members ($100 per year membership) can enjoy early shopping hours and the Sam's Instant Savings membership benefit provides customized savings on hundreds of items throughout the club, including fresh foods, health and beauty products, and office supplies. With no coupons to clip and no rebate forms to complete and mail, Sam's Club Plus members receive personalized Instant Savings tailored to them. To keep savings simple, Instant Savings are automatically taken at the register with a simple swipe of a membership card.

Sam's Club Membership
Sam's Club Membership offers exclusive savings on merchandise and outstanding member benefits. With access to Instant Savings and early shopping hours, Plus membership offers even more savings with our premium service options. Advantage memberships for families and individuals start at $40 annually, Plus memberships are $100, Business members pay $35 annually and Business Plus members pay $100. Special savings for college students and military families are also available. Visit SamsClub.com/Membership for more information.

About Sam's Club
Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is the nation's eighth largest retailer and a leading Membership warehouse club offering superior products and services to more than 47 million Members in clubs across the U.S., as well as in Brazil, China and Mexico. To learn more about Savings Made Simple^®, visit SamsClub.com, and look for Sam's Club on Twitter, Facebook and on mobile and iPad® apps.

SOURCE Sam's Club