The proposed store, which would be the company's first grocery-only outlet in the region, could provide access to fresh, healthy food at reasonable prices to residents formerly with no such outlet, Restivo said.
The company's response comes after the formation of the Somerville Coalition for a Responsible Walmart, which plans to hold its first community meeting Wednesday, Nov. 16, and is comprised of a dozen community groups that have so far proved skeptical of the retailer's potential impact. No one from Walmart was invited to the meeting, but the company is aware of it, Restivo said.
"That doesn't stop [critics] from making lots of claims that aren't supported in much of the ways of facts or substance," Restivo said.
The average full-time worker at one of the company's 49 locations in the state earns $13.20 an hour, Restivo said.
"Our wages and benefits are as good or better than the majority of the businesses we compete with," he said.
Restivo refuted the claim that small businesses would be squeezed out by the retail giant's power to leverage lower prices from manufacturers for its products.
"We're not going to apologize for having everyday low prices," he said, and suggested that the small businesses that adapt can thrive and grow side by side with Walmart.
"The bottom line is that we want to listen, answer questions, and let people get to know the company," he said. "If we open a store in Somerville and no one comes, we'll have learned a really important lesson about Somerville. Again, we just don't think that's going to happen."
