First impressions of Pittsfield Township's Walmart

Upon entering I was greeted by not one but two friendly greeters, as well as a representative from the in-house salon passing out coupons and freebies. A few steps forward, and an employee was cutting and serving the third sheet cake to an attracted crowd.

Cindy Gochin checks out the dog food on sale at Walmart on its opening day.

AngelaSmith | contributor

Freebies and goodies were being shared throughout the store. While there, I was offered fresh pineapple, a chicken “drummette”, a free loaf of bread coupon, a Twinkie from a giant Twinkie-man, apple cider, eye glass cleaner, hair gel, and a fortune cookie. The samples were being offered throughout the store by vendors and employees. I have to admit it led to a party-like atmosphere. The hundreds of shoppers were already excited to see what this superstore had to offer, and the attentive goody-givers did a nice job of making it feel celebratory.

I saw many customers were greeting each other by name and chatting about what they liked about the store. Here are some of their comments:

“I have been waiting for Walmart to open for a very long time,” said Cindy Gochin of Saline. She came in to “check out everything” and was making her way around the store. She is excited about the convenience of having the Walmart close to Saline.

“The aisles are nice and big, everyone is friendly, and there are lots of good prices,” said Donna Jordan, also of Saline. She was excited to get a chance to come in and shop for a lot of things that she needs. She started her Christmas shopping, and was excited to find and purchase clothes, boots, toys, MP3 music players, and even a vacuum cleaner.

A shopper checks out the sale items at the new Walmart in Saline.

Angela Smith | Contributor

“I love the food department; that was awesome, everything is very clean and well spaced out,” said Cheryl Cummell, who works at Saline High School and says this location will be convenient for her.

Michelle Hopson has lived in the Ann Arbor area for about a year and a half. “It is so convenient, my children go to school here at Harvest, and I can zip right across here, and I don’t always have to go out to Ann Arbor to shop.” Hopson said she is from the South and has never lived in a town that didn’t have a Walmart. “I am excited. It’s very clean; nice and new, I’m liking the convenience.”

Lead retail blogger Angie Smith will hunt for deals and dish on the latest in retail in Ann Arbor. Readers will learn about great deals, and store happenings in and around the city. To report a news item or tip, contact her at angieannarbor@gmail.com