Meijer opens smaller format grocery store concept

Meijer Grocery has made its debut.

The Midwest retailer opened its new concept in two locations, with stores in Michigan’s Lake Orion and Macomb Township.  Meijer Grocery is the retailer's first new format since it introduced a neighborhood market small format concept in August 2018.

With a footprint of 75,000- to 90,000-sq.-ft., Meijer Grocery will allow the retailer to open in more locations than was possible with its larger supercenter format, which is typically about 150,000 sq. ft. The condensed layout is designed to simplify the shopping experience and provide a streamlined shopping experience for day-to-day needs, the company said.

The new stores feature unique design elements to enhance the shopping experience in terms of both aesthetics and convenience. Wide aisles allow for fast navigation and rear-access coolers allow employees to refill refrigerated items without crowding the sales floor.

In addition, each location has a family restroom, equipped with an adult-changing table — a feature also available in several Meijer supercenters — for the convenience and dignity of customers with disabilities and their caregivers. And as in all Meijer stores, Meijer Grocery offers free access to Aira, an app-based service that provides live navigation assistance live to blind and low-vision customers using the camera of their smartphones

Meijer Grocery carries all the most essential categories a customer might need for a quick trip or weekly restock, the company said. These include:

• Fresh produce and grocery;
• In-store meat cutters;
• Bakery equipped with in-store cake decorators;
• Full-service deli;
• In-store and drive-thru pharmacy;
• Health & beauty care;
• Baby, pets and household essentials; and
• Card & party and floral.

The stores also feature locally-sourced products in nearly every department, staying true to the company's ongoing commitment to supporting local businesses.

“As a company, we've opened more than 500 supercenters, neighborhood markets and Meijer Express locations, and that feeling of excitement and anticipation as you welcome customers in for the first time never gets old," executive chairman Hank Meijer said. "But opening the doors of these stores feels particularly special because of the unique need they'll fulfill in our customers' everyday lives."

Each Meijer Grocery store donated $10,000 to a local nonprofit in conjunction with its opening. The Lake Orion store donated to The Village Food Pantry at Woodside Bible Church and the Macomb location supported the Macomb Charitable Foundation. Both expect to make an additional $15,000 in donations in the coming weeks in celebration of their openings.

With the addition of the two new stores, Meijer expands its support of local food pantries through its Simply Givehunger relief program. The program encourages customers to purchase a $10 Simply Give donation card upon checkout. Once purchased, the donation is converted into a Meijer food-only gift card and donated directly to the local food pantry selected by the store.

"We look forward to seeing these new stores further our mission of enriching lives in the communities we serve, not just by offering convenient shopping solutions and positive economic impact, but also as strong and active community partners," Meijer president & CEO Rick Keyes said. "When we plan a new store, our relationship with that community begins long before the doors open, and strengthens as we grow."

Meijer traces its roots back to 1934 when Dutch immigrant Frederik Meijer opened a grocery store in Greenville, Mich. It offered staple items at bargain prices and was one of the first supermarkets to introduce shopping carts.

In 1987, Meijer opened the first Hypermarket USA stores in the United States, which led to the creation of Meijer supercenters, which sell clothing, electronics, sporting goods, toys, and automotive and household goods, as well as groceries.

Based in Grand Rapids, Mich., the privately-owned and family-operated Meijer operates 501 supercenters, neighborhood markets, Meijer Grocery and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.