It Takes a Meijer Village
Meijer unveils new stores today in Bolingbrook and McHenry, Illinois, Madison Heights, Michigan, and Columbus, Ohio. All four are Meijer Stores’ newest “village-style” format. The Madison Heights location is the first new Meijer store in Southeast Michigan since 1999.
The village concept store is a departure from the massive super centers popular throughout the Midwest. “The idea is to give the customer a feeling of shopping in a village,” says Rob Jager store director for the Bolingbrook Meijer location. “It’s like having over 30 stores all in one store.”
What is unique about the 193,000-square-foot village concept store is that key departments are brought to the forefront. The Produce and Pharmacy departments are located in the front of the store with the Pharmacy featuring a new “Drive-Thru” pick-up window. A Pet Connections Department is located in the back of grocery combining pet food, supplies, and a selection of small animals. Each store will include a Gourmet Coffee bar.
There is new Home Decor Department that combines furniture, home fashions and small appliances. Meijer will use “U-Scan Express” lanes for self-checkout. Shoppers will also be able to take care of their banking needs with a seven-days-a-week in-store bank.
Moderator Comment: Will Meijer’s village concept stores
be a hit with consumers?
Downtowns are coming back across the country. The new
urbanization movement is becoming more popular as consumers search for a sense
of community while at the same time simplifying their lives. Meijer’s new concept
stores sound as if they are right on-target. We are anxious to see one for ourselves.
[George
Anderson – Moderator]