Wal-Mart plans to open its newest Hawai'i store Jan. 31 in Manana adjacent to Pearl Highlands Center, giving the world's largest retailer four stores on O'ahu and eight in the state.

The new store is scheduled to open its doors at 8 a.m. featuring a typical mix of merchandise found in other Hawai'i Wal-Marts, but with a few embellishments that make the Manana store somewhat distinctive.

On first impression, some local shoppers may notice that the 147,979-square-foot store has the architectural flavor of a sugar mill.

A faux water tower tops the store's garden center, and parts of the new building's facade were designed to resemble an old mill warehouse, with exposed steel beams and some walls colored a shade approximating the stain of red dirt from plantation fields.

Store signs have yet to be installed, which likely will leave no mistake that the mill-style warehouse is a Wal-Mart. The parking lot, of course, is trademark Wal-Mart: big, with 802 stalls. And the outlet will be open 24 hours like the other Wal-Mart stores on O'ahu.

Inside, the Manana Wal-Mart is the first in Hawai'i filled with skylights to allow electric lighting to be dimmed or shut off on bright days. Familiar features include a McDonald's, pharmacy, American Savings Bank, photo lab, portrait studio and vision center.

About 600 people have been hired from 2,800 applicants, according to the company. Roughly 70 percent, or around 400, have full-time jobs. The company is still seeking about 30 more part-time employees, according to store manager Boyd Schneider, who started with Wal-Mart in Minnesota and has been a store manager in Lihu'e and Hilo.

By the end of the year, Wal-Mart should be joined by about 10 small food and merchandise retailers.

Wal-Mart sold about two acres of its property to a pair of brokers affiliated with Colliers Monroe Friedlander and some investors who plan to develop a small retail complex called Pearl City Shops with a Panda Express, Kozo Sushi, and stores selling ramen, coffee, smoothies and sandwiches. A Central Pacific Bank and Wendy's restaurant will operate stand-alone locations separated by a road.

Mark Bratton, one of the developers, said the complex should be complete and stores open by the end of the year.

"There is a lot of critical mass in that area," he said. "A lot of reasons to go shopping."

A Sam's Club gas station also is planned for another vacant parcel next to Wal-Mart's parking lot. Sam's, a sister company of Wal-Mart, applied for building permits for the station last year, though it is not yet under construction.

A Sam's representative could not be reached yesterday to say when the station will open.

To alleviate potential traffic jams that concerned the community and Wal-Mart, the retailer created three driveways into and out of the store along Makolu Street, at Pepei Street and between Pepei and Makolu.

Wal-Mart also has: