Walmart Neighborhood Market opens in Albany

ALBANY — After months of anticipation Albany’s new Walmart Neighborhood Market opened its doors Wednesday to large crowds.

Following a brief ribbon cutting ceremony, the store officially opened to the public and then saw steady customer traffic throughout the day.

“We’ve had quite a good turnout this morning,” said Duane Staggers, the store manager. “I think it’s gone really well and everyone I’ve spoken to has had a good experience.”

Shopper Ida Jackson, who said she had been waiting for the store to open and had planned on visiting the first day, said she was impressed by the store and plans to come back on a regular basis.

“I loved the store,” said Jackson. “It’s clean and nice and the folks were really friendly. I love it. I love everything about it. It’s not too far from where I stay, so I will definitely be coming back.”

Staggers said he expects to see sizable crowds for the first few days and also hopes the community who haven’t already will come out sometime in the next few weekends, starting this weekend, to enjoy some of the festivities the store has planned to welcome customers.

Staggers said there will be face-painting, food sampling, a visit from the Albany Fire Department and a “Superhero Meet and Greet.”

“We’ve got quite a few things going on,” Staggers said. “We’re going to hopefully have something going on for the next few weeks.”

Located at the corner of Gillionville Road and Westover Boulevard, the 41,000-square-foot facility is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and carries a full line of grocery items, as well as additional household items such as holiday gifts, home decor and electronics. The store also has a full-service pharmacy with a drive-thru.