Wal-Mart to open in September 2005

By Curtis Henderson
Staff Writer

The most successful retail giant in the world, Wal-Mart, will open in Pembroke in September of 2005. It will be the first store of its type in Pembroke.

Currently, UNCP students have to make the trek to Lumberton in order to buy in bulk for a discount price. Pembroke does have smaller retail discount stores in its city limits, but none even matches the magnitude of Wal- Mart.

No longer will students be forced to leave town to get CDs, cheap office furniture, take professional pictures, get an oil change for their cars or just to lounge around in “Wally World” at 3 a.m.

The Wal-Mart will be located on Highway 711 going towards Lumberton if leaving from campus. It will be just on the outskirt of town.

This is a huge leap into the main stream for Pembroke. Wal-Mart is only one of a handful of national chains that have expressed interest in placing a business here. With a growing university, come growing demands, and expanded opportunities.

The word about UNCP and Pembroke is spreading like wildfire. Our secret is out. The small elegant town of Pembroke that attracts so many students and at such a rapid rate seems to be on the verge of realizing its growth potential.

Wal-Mart choosing to place a store here is a great shot of revenue in the arm of this financially crunched area of North Carolina. It will create jobs for not only students, but local residents as well.

Pembroke Town Manager McDuffie Cummings said that Pembroke needs a Wal-Mart because the town lacks retails services and needs it bad. The store is projected to serve 50,000 people, Cummings said.

As expected, students can’t wait for the Supercenter to open its doors for shopping. UNCP student Alicia Jones said, “It will be more convenient for students, and I won’t have to drive 20 minutes to Wal-Mart anymore.” She also said it’s good that it will provide jobs for people in the area.