Meijer is getting closer to unveiling its new grocery concept. The Michigan retailer revealed a Jan. 26 opening date for its first Meijer Grocery locations in the metro Detroit area.
The stores in Orion and Macomb Township are smaller than typical Meijer supercenters, spanning 75,000 to 90,000 square feet. Convenience is a hallmark of the new banner, with features like parking that wraps around a singular corner entrance, and an assortment designed around quick and easy restocking at home.
Meijer Grocery stores will carry a wide range of consumables and household essentials. In addition to center store groceries, the locations include fresh produce, a meat counter with in-store meat cutters, a bakery with on-site cake decorators, and a full-service deli counter. Regarding nonfoods, the stores will offer health and beauty care, pharmacy, card/party/floral, and baby and pet products. Local goods are part of the mix as well, with Detroit and Michigan favorites like Zingerman’s cinnamon rolls, pies from Achatz Handmade Pie Co., Kowalski Sausage Co. meats, and Detroit-style pizza made by local chain Buddy’s Pizza, among others.
As with other Meijer stores, the smaller-format grocery stores will offer mPerks rewards, home delivery, pickup and shop-and-scan technologies.
“By opening Meijer Grocery stores, we're introducing a new way for our customers to shop that provides convenience, value and the great quality our customers have always come to expect from Meijer," explained Rick Keyes, Meijer’s president and CEO. "Our customers' needs are always evolving, and we're committed to meeting them where they are. That's why we're excited to share this new Meijer experience with the Orion and Macomb Township communities."
Meijer opened its first supercenter in nearby Canton in 1974. The retailer has also launched two smaller neighborhood concepts, Rivertown Markets and Woodward Corner, in the Detroit market in recent years.
"Orion and Macomb Townships are already very familiar with our Meijer supercenters, but we believe they will benefit from the added convenience Meijer Grocery will bring to their neighborhoods," noted Don Sanderson, SVP of merchandising at Meijer. "We specifically chose to launch this new store format in southeast Michigan because we're a Michigan company that has been serving customers in metro Detroit for decades."
Privately owned Meijer operates more than 400 supercenters, neighborhood markets and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The company is No. 20 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America