Walmart elevates shopping experience at refreshed Secaucus flagship

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Walmart Inc. is unveiling a newly completed remodel of one of its Supercenters in New Jersey.

After undergoing improvements aimed at elevating the overall shopping experience, the retail giant’s location in Secaucus at 400 Park Place has been transformed into a flagship store that includes interactive features, expanded product categories, a reconfigured layout and upgrades to the checkout area.

Secaucus is now one of nine flagship locations in the U.S. with numerous expanded shopping options to help consumers save time and money, including:

• Activated corners: Displays featured at the corners of home lines, baby and apparel to pull customers in and help them touch, feel and become part of the space;
• Elevated departments: Displays showcasing products that are out of their boxes so customers can imagine fitting them into their daily lives;
• A state-of-the-art electronics department with more demo stations for product;
• New products and categories, such as an expanded pet department and apparel brands – like Reebok, Polo, Chaps and Sam & Libby – and cosmetics lines, including Beauty Space, Philip B., By Terry and Mario Badescu;
• A reconfigured store layout that provides more convenient access to well-shopped areas, like baby food, pets and paper products, as well as an upgraded pharmacy at the front of the store for easier customer access;
• A new Vision Center that offers an assortment of quality eyeglasses and sunglasses with prescription lenses;
• Improvements at the checkout area, including a front-end transformation with self-checkout lanes, staffed registers and four dedicated lanes for Walmart+ members;
• A refreshed interior and exterior, including paint and signage for easier navigation through the store, and lighting upgrades;
• New digital touchpoints throughout the store to help customers learn more about the products and services Walmart offers online.

According to a company spokesperson, the store stayed open during the eight-month renovation period.

The upgrades at Secaucus are part of the Bentonville, Ark.-based corporation’s $75 million investment to refresh and remodel 11 stores in New Jersey over the next two years. Along with debuting two other flagship stores – in North Bergen and Teterboro – the retailer has already upgraded other Supercenters, including East Brunswick, Freehold, Bayonne and Linden.

Joshua Strudl, a store manager at the Walmart in Secaucus, commented, “This store is more than just a place to shop, it’s a community hub where people can come together to connect and support each other.”

“I’m proud of this store and each of our associates who work hard every day to serve our customers and communities in New Jersey and New York Metro area. Our customers are going to love the new time-saving changes and beautiful displays to shop from and our associates can’t wait to serve them,” said Strudl, who began his career with Walmart 24 years ago as a cashier.

The completion of the project was marked with an Aug. 18 ribbon cutting ceremony, where Walmart associates were joined by local community leaders.

Following the formalities, the store plans to keep the celebration going with free treats from Walmart vendors, food trucks, music and games. It will also reveal a new in-store mural depicting the Secaucus Greenway, a nearby 2.2-mile raised boardwalk popular for walking, birding and running. The installation is part of Walmart’s Community Mural Program, which is one of the largest public art initiatives in the U.S. and aims to highlight the company’s commitment to the areas it serves.

Additionally, Secaucus is presenting $11,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations, including $5,000 to the Secaucus Youth Alliance; $2,000 to the Secaucus Police Benevolent Association; $2,000 to the Meadowlands YMCA and $2,000 to the Secaucus Fire Department.

Walmart Regional General Manager Nico Vassol said in a statement, “I’m excited to offer New Jerseyans yet another Walmart ‘Flagship Store’ experience, adding the Secaucus store transformation to our innovative flagship stores in Teterboro and North Bergen.”

“I am so proud of how our associates have taken care of our customers and each other through the remodel experience and I am grateful for the strong leadership here and in surrounding stores,” he added. “Adding this investment to our free college for our associates through Live Better U, to sourcing $15.3 billion in products from New Jersey suppliers, to hosting free wellness events in local communities – Walmart continues to show our commitment to invest in the communities we serve here in New Jersey.”