Meijer is changing purchasing for the benefit of customers – see how it compares to competitor Kroger

GROCERY chain Meijer is making a big change in stores to offer customers a more convenient shopping experience.

The new store experience will go live on January 26, 2023 in two new stores in Orion Township and Macomb Township, Michigan.

1

Meijer grocery stores will offer customers a new way of making shopping easier, said the retailer’s president and chief executive officer, Rick Keyes.

“Our customers’ needs are constantly evolving, and we strive to meet them where they are,” said Keyes. “So we’re excited to share this new Meijer experience with the communities of Orion and Macomb Township.”

What the new shopping experience will look like

Meijer’s new grocery store design is built with comfort and ease in mind, the company said.

From the moment shoppers enter the parking lot, they receive an enhanced experience as parking is wrapped around a single corner entrance.

This means there will be more parking near the door than at the current stores.

The stores will be smaller than Meijer’s super centers but larger than the market locations.

They will each be between 75,000 and 90,000 square feet and offer everything a customer needs to fill up their homes, the company said.

This contains:

• products and food
• Meat counter with in-house meat cutters
• Bakery with in-house cake decorators
• Full service delicatessen
• pharmacy
• health and beauty care
• Baby, pets and supplies
• Card & Party and Flowers

These Supercenters will also feature local brands throughout the store, staying true to their corporate value of supporting local businesses.

For example, the bakery departments feature local favorites, including Zingerman’s Ann Arbor cinnamon rolls, banana breads, brownies and pies, as well as pies from Achatz Handmade Pie Company and artisan breads from Crispelli’s Bakery.

And at the meat counter, shoppers can browse Michigan-made products from vendors like Rinaldi Fresh Sausage, Dearborn Brand, Kowalski Sausage Company and The Brinery.

Don Sanderson, Meijer’s senior vice president of merchandising, said they decided to launch the new store format in Michigan because they are a Michigan company and have operated in the Detroit area for decades.

The company opened its first Metro Supercenter in Detroit in Canton in 1974.

There are now more than 45 stores in the same community.

New technology

In addition to the new design, the buyer can expect practical technology that can also be found in other super centers.

These include Meijers mPerks, Shop and Scan, and the Meijer Home Delivery and Pickup programs.

Meijer currently operates 499 Supercenter, Convenience Store and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Other grocery stores are making changes

Rival chain Kroger also made headlines recently for making some explosive changes to its customer shopping experience.

In select stores, shoppers can now take advantage of KroGo, an innovative offering with four different ways for customers to purchase items instead of the traditional checkout line.

Kroger calls the new features the “store of the future” because the changes will include high-tech and low-tech payment methods.

This was announced by Kroger spokeswoman Erin Rolfes Cincinnati Business Courier“We believe it will be groundbreaking.”

“What customers will see that is very different from other stores is the front end where they check out,” added Erin.

The chain chose to implement the changes in Monroe, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati because customers were receptive to new shopping opportunities.

One of the new cash register types is called the KroGo trolley.

These are shopping carts that customers can use to store their groceries while shopping.

In addition, they can pay at the trolley and skip the line altogether.

Cameras and scales are installed in the carts so that customers can weigh the relevant items.

Kroger will also offer banded self-checkout lanes where shoppers can place, bag, and pay for items.

The Kroger in Monroe, Ohio now offers shoppers an additional self-checkout lane with conveyor belts for those with larger lists.

And the fourth way of shopping will be the regular checkouts.

Kroger has also banned all single-use plastic bags at a Kroger store in Virginia as the retailer works to meet its sustainability goals.

There are six holiday items at Kroger that are all under $15 this year.

Also, here’s the full list of items that are tight in stores this year and how to get them before they hit stores.