Is There a Big Change Coming to Our Montana Walmart's?

Have you stopped by our local Walmart locations in Great Falls recently? Have you noticed any changes at those stores? The company has begun a new $9 billion dollar campaign to make-over stores across the country. Over 1300 stores will be upgraded and have grand re-openings in the coming 2 years.

Are those changes happening already in Great Falls? After my recent visit, I think we are.

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What Changes You Can Expect to Start Seeing Soon

After visiting the 10th Avenue South location of our local store, I noticed a couple of different things that were interesting and new, at least to me. Some of the most noticeable were being able to see across the store. Shelving appears to be a little lower, and ease of seeing where to go in the store has improved. There are also interactive kiosks that allow the customer to find out more about a product.

Other improvements that Walmart will be looking at include:

Updated flooring and paint
Modernized restrooms
Elevated display areas to showcase products
Digital touchpoints including QR codes placed throughout the store
Grab and go grocery section
Expanded online order pickup area
More shopping carts
A dollar shop with seasonal items
Expanded pharmacy
Mother's room for nursing mothers

More Job Opportunity in the Electric City Because Of The Upgrades

One aspect that is a bonus to these upgrades to our stores is that of employment. With these added features and the change-over, more people will be needed. According to a statement from Walmart:

We’re investing more than $9 billion over a two-year period to upgrade and modernize more than 1,400 of our stores across the U.S.,” said John Furner, chief executive officer of Walmart U.S. "With nearly 90 percent of the U.S. population living within 10 miles of a Walmart, we understand how important our local stores are to customers and communities, and these construction investments allow us to create more local jobs and make it easier for our associates to get customers what they want, when they want it.

Keep an eye out for these changes coming soon to our stores.

LOOK: First Photos Of 'The Walmart Of The Future'

Walmart is making a major overhaul of its stores adding features while upgrading others. The company is putting $9 billion into the project which will change nearly 1,400 stores across the company. Here is an inside look at the changes that debuted at the first 117 stores that recently celebrated grand reopenings.

Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll