Arabic-speaking employees, ethnic food and products highlight innovative store; local businesses concerned

DEARBORN — Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, has opened an innovative new supercenter here.  The 200,000 square foot store will offer a special line of products geared toward the Arab American and American Muslim communities in the Metro Detroit area.

The store offers a variety of fresh, frozen and prepackaged Middle Eastern food, as well as halal meat, which is located in a closed- off area of the meat section.  A special aisle dedicated to international foods features items like hummus, tahini, jarred pickles and olives, and spices used in traditional Middle Eastern dishes.

The new store has given a much-needed boost to the area by providing employment opportunities for hundreds of individuals. Over the past several months, more than 600 positions were filled as the store prepared to open.  The store, which is still in the process of hiring, currently employs around thirty five Arab Americans.

Wal-Mart store manager, Bill Bartell, is optimistic about the store’s presence in Dearborn.

“There is a great sense of excitement surrounding this store’s opening,” he stated.  “So many of the organizations in Dearborn really contributed to the construction of this store, so we really feel as though this is a store for the community.”

Wal-Mart’s Professional Development Training Coordinator, Suehaila Amen, was hired to provide diversity training to the store’s employees.  She said that Wal-Mart has been a source of support to the Arab American community for years, by providing scholarships and sponsoring local community events.

“Wal-Mart is making a concerted effort to reach out to the Arab American and American Muslim communities,” stated Amen.  “They have had a strong presence in the local community for years, and have always supported our local organizations.  Their presence in Dearborn provides us with a great opportunity to build bridges with one of the largest corporations in the world.”

Wal-Mart began its process of researching the local market two years ago.  They held numerous focus groups with local imams and potential customers, in order to gain a better understanding of the community and its needs.

“What we ended up with is a collaboration of different ideas from the local community,” Bartell stated.  “We really did our research and listened to the needs of the community, and we are excited to have these products in our store.”

Amen said that the Dearborn Wal-Mart is committed to enhancing the shopping experience of its customers.  As part of the store’s efforts, Arabic-speaking sales associates will wear badges that read “I speak Arabic.”

Despite Wal-Mart’s ongoing efforts to reach out to the local community, concerns have arisen among small business owners regarding the increased competition that will occur after the new store opens.

Bartell maintains that Wal-Mart is not trying to replace the smaller markets; rather, it hopes to make the shopping experience more convenient.  “We essentially would like to be a one-stop shop for our customers,” he explained.  “Rather than have them make several stops during the day, we are able to provide them with the essential items they need in one convenient store.  We do not want to take the place of the local markets; we simply would like to make shopping more convenient for our customers, and offer them an alternative.  Our prices are pretty much comparable to those of smaller stores.”

The international aisle offers olive oil from Egypt, pickles from Palestine, apricot paste from Syria, spices from Jordan, olives from Lebanon, and sweets from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

But at least one local storeowner is not worried about Wal-Mart.

“They don’t have what we have here. They don’t do what we do here,” said Hussein Siblini, co-owner of the popular New Yasmeen Bakery.

He said Wal-Mart’s selection of imported goods isn’t quite as wide as what his and other stores offer in Middle Eastern food, and that the store’s management has promised to keep their prices above those of local markets, particularly with pita bread, which Wal-Mart buys directly from the New Yasmeen Bakery.

“We do not allow anybody to sell it at a lower price,”?he said.

But Siblini said that starting Monday, the price of a bag of bread at the bakery will increase from $1.25 to $1.50, due to a steep rise in the cost of flour.

When it opened on Wednesday, Wal-Mart was selling bread at $1.32 a bag.

Siblini said he expects the store to increase the price accordingly.

Amen said the Dearborn Wal-Mart is not focusing exclusively on one ethnicity.  In addition to the Middle Eastern items, the store will also carry a wide selection of Asian and Hispanic food.

“This particular Wal-Mart store is located in a very diverse setting, and we recognize the need to cater to the different ethnic communities in the Metro Detroit area,” she said.  “We’re working with these communities to provide the basic necessities, without delving too deep into the market.  We certainly do not want to infringe on the smaller business owners in the area.”

Bartell said that the store will explore the possibility of expanding the Middle Eastern food section in the future, depending on how customers react to it.               

The new store held a special preview celebration Tuesday, where hundreds of store employees gathered with district managers and several community organizations to kick off the store’s opening.  Wal-Mart presented several local organizations with checks of appreciation for their support of the company during the construction of the new store.  Among the organizations who received recognition were the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, ACCESS and the Dearborn Police Charities.

A Grand Opening ceremony was held the next morning, which featured remarks from Dearborn Mayor  Jack O’Reilly. The program also included a dance performance by members of “The Fantastic Five,” a hip hop ensemble from Ann Arbor, and an appearance by Detroit Red Wings performer, Karen Newman, who performed the National Anthem.  After the ribbon-cutting took place, the store was officially opened for business.

“We are truly proud of what we have built here,” concluded Bartell.  “We started out with an empty building, and what we have now is an amazing supercenter.”