Meijer to launch smaller grocery outlets

Meijer is on the verge of opening two new concept stores that the company says are designed simplify the customer shopping experience.

The new “Meijer Grocery” outlets are set to open in Michigan’s Orion Township and Macomb Township in January. Features include parking that wraps around a singular corner entrance to maximize the number of parking spaces near the door, and stores with just 75,000 to 90,000 square feet of space. By comparison, newer Meijer supercenters are approximately 150,000 square feet.

The condensed layout will be easy for shoppers to navigate while providing the same products customers need for their weekly shopping trip. The new stores also will have the same technologies and services that are available at traditional Meijer supercenter stores, like the Shop and Scan technology which allows shoppers to avoid the checkout while paying with their smart phones, as well as home delivery and pickup.

“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,” Meijer President and Chief Executive Office Rick Keyes said in a statement.

“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,” Keyes said.

The stores also will also showcase local brands, which is in line with the company’s commitment to support local businesses, according to Don Sanderson, Meijer senior vice president of merchandising.

“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,” Sanderson said. “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.”

Local selections in the bakery sections, for instance, will include cinnamon rolls, banana breads, brownies and cakes from Ann Arbor-based Zingerman’s, while frozen products will include pizza from the Detroit-style pizza chain Buddy’s Pizza.

Meijer already has over 45 stores in the community, and indicated that the launching of additional Meijer Grocery stores is not imminent.

“Our real estate team is constantly evaluating properties and opportunities for us to better serve new and existing customers,” the company said in a statement. “Meijer Grocery is a new format for us, so we look forward to learning from our Orion and Macomb Township communities before expanding Meijer Grocery into other markets.”

The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company operates 499 supercenters, neighborhood markets and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.