Walmart to Open Redesigned Virginia Store Following Tragedy
Walmart has unveiled its remodeled store in Chesapeake, Virginia, that's set to reopen on April 19. The store has been close since a mass shooting there last fall killed six people.
The store has undergone significant design changes in the five months since the November 2022 shooting, as Walmart welcomes back many reluctant shoppers to the site.
Perhaps most notably, the store now features an outdoor memorial space to honor those killed and provide a “place of comfort” for the survivors, according to a media release from Walmart. The space is surrounded by local foliage and includes six seating structures to remember the six Walmart associates who were gunned down by a former night manager.
Walmart says the store will offer customers an enhanced shopping experience, including expanded product offerings, engaging displays, interactive features and an overall fresh look. This new "store-of-the-future" is part of the retail giant’s signature experiences and includes “innovative and customer-friendly” design elements, according to the release.
"We are deeply touched by the community’s compassion and support as we continue to heal from last year’s tragedy," Alycia Mixon, Walmart store manager, said in the release. "As we move forward with our reopening, we do so in a way that honors the victims and provides continued support to our associates."
The store will reopen on April 19 at 10 a.m. following a 9 a.m. ceremony that's open to the community.
A recent exclusive study conducted earlier this year by Path to Purchase Institute sibling publication Progressive Grocer found that most grocery retailers are ill-prepared for a disaster event such as a shooting, even as they increase in the U.S. and in grocery stores. According to the study, 40% of grocery retailers said that they’ve experienced at least one crisis or emergency incident in the past two years. Half of respondents also said that the threat climate in their store(s) is now higher than just five years ago.