Elk River Walmart unveils remodeled supcenter
- Elk River Star News
The Elk River community joined local and regional Walmart officials on Aug. 15 to celebrate the newly remodeled Elk River Walmart Supercenter with a program and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the store’s garden center.
The morning event included check presentations to local nonprofit organizations, food trucks, vendor mascots and free samples for customers.
Store manager Adam Luck emceed the 9 a.m. ceremony. He used the moment to thank his management team, store associates and the community for their patience during the months-long project.
“Remodels can be a very difficult process,” Luck said. “They usually affect customer experience and sales, but my team did such an amazing job of managing this process and keeping the store up to standards so customers could continue to shop and get their daily needs.”
Brandon Sharp, a Walmart Market manager, echoed Luck’s praise and extended thanks to employees’ families.
“I think about how many hours Adam, the coaches, the team leads and the hourly associates put in — and you’re not at home,” he said. “We appreciate all the families of our associates, because it takes time.”
Luck described the changes as “dramatic,” pointing to large, bold signage throughout the store, modern lighting, new merchandise displays and a redesigned fashion section.
“We’re standing in store 3209, and there are 5,000 Walmarts,” Sharp said. “This is the nicest store in the company. You’re standing in the best one in the company.”
Other upgrades include an expanded grocery department, a relocated Online Pickup & Delivery area at the front of the store to meet growing demand, a redesigned pharmacy with wider aisles, a private screening room and checkout areas designed for greater privacy. The remodel also added an updated vision center, a mother’s room and a community mural titled “Gathering at the River.”
Customers have already noticed, Sharp said, sharing how some stopped him in the aisles to say how much they liked the changes.
“This morning, I had people stop me and say they’re not from here, but this is the best Walmart they’ve ever been in,” he said. “This doesn’t look like the one where I’m from. You all can be proud of that.”
The 211,000-square-foot Elk River Supercenter opened in 2001. This remodel, one of four Walmart projects completed this month in Minnesota, joins others in Fairmont, New Ulm and Mountain Iron. In total, 22 Walmart stores across the state will be remodeled this year.
“Part of being a Walmart associate is understanding that we have a responsibility to the community,” Luck said before presenting several local grants.
The grants included:
$3,000 to Main Street Family Services.
$1,000 to the Rum River Art Center in Anoka.
$1,000 to the Elk River Police Department for its Shop with a Cop program.
Julie Schultz, executive director of Main Street Family Services, said the Elk River nonprofit she helped start in 2016 has always been about strengthening families. The organization recently expanded its work to include a Family Resource Center.
“We’ve always served families,” Schultz said. “That’s our hope and our mission — that we can help families flourish.”
Shari Ley, who also spoke, praised the new look of the store before describing the Family Resource Center as a lifeline for families facing challenges.
“We know sometimes times can be tight and money can be tight,” the Family Resource Center coordinator said. “But we provide concrete supports and connections for families to access resources — whether that be food, diapers or other tangible needs. We also provide connecting points, because isolation can be so common. Our goal is to strengthen families in the community of Elk River.”
At the Rum River Art Center, Marketing and Communications Director Kirstin Kasa said the Walmart donation will help expand access to programs.
“What we do is facilitate more creative, connected communities,” Kasa said. “Grants like this help us offer free family art days, scholarships for student and adult courses, and summer camps. We want. art to be accessible to all, and cost should never be a barrier.”
The Elk River Police Department also received recognition. Luck called Shop with a Cop a popular and important program, thanking officers for their ongoing support of the store.
Walmart itself was honored for its food donations. Song Lee, a retail rescue specialist with Second Harvest Heartland, presented Luck with a certificate noting Walmart has donated more than 146,000 meals to the community.
Heather Kliewer, executive director of Community Aid Elk River, said her food shelf picks up donations from the store three times a week.
“Each pickup is between 500 and 1,500 pounds, for a total this year of almost 99,000 pounds,” Kliewer said. “That’s just this year. That’s a lot of food you’re giving to CAER.”
Luck closed the program by reflecting on the turnout.
“I honestly was not expecting a crowd like this,” he said. “It’s truly humbling to see all the people here this morning, and all the lives we impact on a daily basis.”
