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Smith's Marketplace draws record crowds in Tooele and promises local jobs
Summary
A Smith's Marketplace grand opening in Tooele attracted roughly 6,500 people and, city and store representatives said, created about 250 jobs with nearly 90% hired locally; city leaders said more retail announcements are expected soon.
A recent Smith's Marketplace grand opening in Tooele drew thousands of shoppers and, according to program speakers, set company attendance records while promising local hires.
Unidentified Speaker 1 opened the program by noting a long line to enter the store and said the turnout illustrated Tooele's rapid growth as a retail market. "It wasn't a sale on Diet Coke that brought 6,500 people to this new Smith's marketplace in Tooele," Unidentified Speaker 1 said.
Unidentified Speaker 3, discussing the scale of the opening, said the event was the busiest opening day in Smith's history and added it was the busiest opening of any Kroger-owned store in the nation. "This opening day was not just the busiest out of any Smiths in the state of Utah. It was the busiest out of any Kroger store in the entire country," Unidentified Speaker 3 said.
City presenters said economic development officials used phone-derived demographic data to make the case for the store. Unidentified Speaker 1 cited "Economic development director John Perez" as the official who can review visitor income, age and other metrics to help attract new retailers.
Store-related remarks also emphasized local hiring. Unidentified Speaker 2 said operating a Smith's Marketplace requires about 250 employees and that "nearly 90% of those employees came from this community, and this is their first time working for Smith's." The speaker presented that hiring as an example of local job growth tied to the new store.
Speakers said the new store could keep local shoppers in town and boost existing businesses. Unidentified Speaker 3 said residents "are able to stay shop locally" and suggested national chains are likely to notice Tooele's performance. Program speakers closed by saying city leaders expect additional retail announcements in the next few months.
City officials or store representatives did not provide a formal written employment roster, independent verification of the 6,500 attendance figure, or a date for the expected future announcements during the program.
