WASHINGTON – The first two Wal-Mart stores in the nation’s capital opened Wednesday.
The retailer held simultaneous ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 7:30 a.m. at its stores near Union Station and in the Brightwood neighborhood. The doors opened to customers shortly after that.
Michael Edwards was the first customer to line up for the opening of the Brightwood store, along Georgia Avenue.
“I got here at 2 o’clock this morning. I left because it was too cold. I came back at five,” he said.
He hoped to land a Playstation 4 as one of the store’s first customers.
Shaney Rutledge also got in line at 5 a.m. to “see what kind of deals they have, because they’re just opening up after black Friday.”
She liked the idea of having a Wal-Mart in the District.
“It’s going to be great,” she says. “[If your] car breaks down you can actually get on the bus, and it lets you off right here.”
Mayor Vincent Gray attended the ribbon-cutting at the Brightwood store. He touted the creation of 800 jobs at the two new Wal-Mart locations.
“Those who said that nobody would be interested in these jobs
