Meijer expands in Indiana
Meijer has added another location to its growing footprint.
The discounter opened a new supercenter in Northern Indiana today, in Elkhart. The 159,000-sq.-ft. store is Meijer’s 42nd location in the state.
Meijer opened its first store in Indiana in 1994, in Mishawaka, and has invested heavily in the state ever since. In addition to its stores, the company operates manufacturing facility in Indiana, in Middlebury.
As Meijer continues to expand its signature store format, it also is piloting a new, smaller-sized concept. In January, the retailer debuted Meijer Grocery in two locations, with stores in Michigan’s Lake Orion and Macomb Township. With a footprint of 75,000- to 90,000-sq.-ft., Meijer Grocery has a condensed layout and is designed to simplify the shopping experience and provide a streamlined shopping experience.
Meijer Elkhart features grocery staples, fresh produce, bakery, meat and deli, as well as a floral area, garden center, pharmacy, pets, electronics, toys, sports and apparel. Additionally, a Meijer Express has opened adjacent to the new supercenter.
The new location also features digital shopping solutions, including Shop & Scan, which allows shoppers to scan barcodes via a mobile app and bag their items as they shop for a convenient checkout. The store also offers deep discounts on surplus food via the Flashfood app and expanded areas to manage orders for Meijer’s home delivery and pickup services.
In line with the retailer's ongoing efforts to ensure accessibility for all customers, the store boasts new larger, height-adjustable changing tables in the family restrooms for the added convenience and dignity of customers with disabilities and their caregivers.
As in all Meijer stores, the Elkhart store also offers free access to Aira, an app-based service that provides live navigation assistance to blind and low-vision customers using the camera of their smartphones. Meijer launched the service in 2020.
Prior to opening its doors, Meijer demonstrated its support of the community last week by making $30,000 in donations to three local organizations. Meijer donated $15,000 to the Elkhart Education Foundation to sponsor the school store, which provides necessary school supplies free of charge to students and teachers in the district.
In addition, the retailer donated $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Elkhart County to support one-to-one mentoring relationships between youth and adults, and $5,000 to Faith Mission of Michiana, which provides more than 200,000 meals annually for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Meijer donates more than 6% of its net profit to charitable organizations annually, and each of its stores works with local food banks and pantries to help fight hunger. Since 2008, the retailer's Simply Give program has generated more than $80 million for its food pantry partners throughout the Midwest.
"Meijer truly invests in the communities we serve, and we're excited to be joining the Elkhart community," Meijer president & CEO Rick Keyes said. "Our team members have worked diligently to prepare this new store, and we're all looking forward to providing a one-stop shopping experience focused on value and convenience to these customers."
[Read More: Meijer opens smaller format grocery store concept]
Based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Meijer operates more than 500 supercenters, Meijer Grocery, neighborhood markets and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.