Havelock welcomes new Wal-Mart

Instead of an excuse note, Steven Beall had a Wal-Mart receipt to explain why he was late for school Friday morning.

The Havelock High School senior was the first customer at the new Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened Friday at 566 U.S. 70 West. He bought one item — a package of Cadbury chocolate eggs from the store’s Easter display.

“It’s going to bring a lot to the economy, and I’m glad to see that,” Beall said. “I’m glad to see that we’ve got a Wal-Mart, because they’re very focused on customer service. I like that the customer comes first.”

Havelock residents welcomed the city’s largest-ever retail business at a Friday morning opening ceremony inside the 184,000 square-foot store. The 24-hour Supercenter began selling its array of 100,000 products around 8 a.m.

Belinda Peay said residents who formerly had to drive about 20 miles to New Bern or Morehead City in order to shop at a Wal-Mart will enjoy the convenience of having a store in their hometown.

“We don’t have to go out of town to shop anymore,” she said. “We can stay in Havelock and keep our money in Havelock.”

Peay works at Wal-Mart as a part-time cashier, but the longtime Havelock resident wasn’t on duty Friday morning. She attended the grand opening festivities and bought some groceries shortly after the checkout lanes opened.

“I work here and I love it,” she said. “Wal-Mart is a happy place.”

The nation’s largest retailer found a warm welcome in Havelock, but some shoppers who praised the store also said the high-volume discounter could hurt competing businesses.

“I think for Food Lion, it will probably be a little difficult because people are going to come here to buy groceries,” said Dora Willoughby. “Everything’s in one spot.”

Havelock’s Wal-Mart has full-service produce, bakery, deli and meat/seafood departments, a frozen foods section and 13 aisles of dry grocery. The store also sells electronics, clothing, toys, sporting goods, jewelry home appliances and other general merchandise.

The store operates a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, a Family Fun Center coin arcade, a Wal-Mart Money Center for check cashing and financial services and a photo lab offering film and digital photo services.

Also in the store are three leased spaces: a 24-hour Subway sandwich shop, a branch of Woodforest Bank and a Smart Style hair salon.

“I’m very excited that we finally opened the doors to our customers,” said store manager Chris Hooper. “The anticipation was great. We’ve been waiting for this day pretty much since the day we walked into this building.”

Wal-Mart began stocking the store in February. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company bought the store’s 26-acre site for about $1.55 million in June 2006, and construction began early last year.

Havelock’s store is better for the environment than older Wal-Marts, Hooper said. The floors are made from flyashe, a recycled material that can be cleaned without harsh chemicals, and skylights provide natural lighting. The store’s fluorescent lights automatically dim during periods of bright sunlight.

“Customers have made comments that it’s a great store, it’s beautiful,” Hooper said. “So far, we have had really positive feedback from customers.”