A Look Inside the 1st Meijer Grocery in Indiana: EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS
Midwest retailer Meijer chose the town of Noblesville for its first smaller-footprint Meijer Grocery store in Indiana, and, on a recent visit, one can see why. The community is growing quickly, with new homes and businesses springing up in the scenic area north of Indianapolis.
During a recent media preview of the 90,000-square-foot space at the Promenade of Noblesville development, store director Travis Bernath – a 2021 Progressive Grocer GenNext winner – showcased the features that differentiate Meijer Grocery from its supercenters.
“Our grocery format is all about convenience. It’s about still offering our fresh, value-driven message for our consumers, but also being able to come in and out quickly and have all of the departments that you need to be able to shop for your weekly groceries,” Bernath told Progressive Grocer.
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As with the two Meijer Grocery locations that opened last year near Detroit, shoppers can make an efficient trek around this store, starting in the fresh produce department that includes a bounty of locally grown fruits and vegetables. The layout makes it simple for consumers to stock up, whether for regular grocery trips or during a quick run. Departments include produce, fresh meat, bakery, full-service deli and center store grocery, along with health and beauty, baby, pets and consumables, card, party and floral, and pharmacy.
Even an accompanying coffee is efficient. In the bakery area, shoppers can order a custom cup of joe from a free-standing Costa Coffee unit with an easy-to-navigate screen featuring both hot and cold drinks.
To give the store a more personal feel and support the community, the retailer partnered with several suppliers from the Indianapolis region. “Meijer supports local vendors throughout all of our departments and down the aisles,” Bernath said.
Some of those vendors were on hand at the media preview. Located only a mile or so down the road from the new Meijer Grocery, a group called Bee Free supports and employs people with autism to help produce its line of Warrior Snack Mix products.
“I started Bee Free in 2010 as a way to provide gluten-free simple snacks for my son, who is on the autism spectrum. There weren't a whole lot of great choices back then, so I started making my own and did some farmers markets. Then I started knocking on grocery doors and in 2017, started working with Meijer,” explained owner Jennifer Wiese, who shared samples during the store tour with one of Bee Free’s employees. “This allows us to not only get our product out to more people, but it also allows us to offer more jobs.”
As Meijer readies the store for the grand opening, Bernath and his team of 200 or so employees are gelling well, with some associates coming from other locations and some who are new to the company.
“It’s about building a new team and helping them grow and develop into leaders,” he noted. “We have a good mix for our store team here and they’re all excited to bring their friends and family in and show off all of their hard work.”
The Meijer Grocery in Noblesville opens on July 11 following a 9 a.m. ribbon cutting and will be open seven days a week. Customers can take advantage of the same savings and technologies offered at Meijer supercenters, including mPerks rewards, Shop and Scan capability, and home delivery and pickup. This property also includes a Meijer Express fuel station with its own convenience store -- a first for the Meijer Grocery concept.
Further, Meijer is marking the occasion of its grand opening by supporting the community: During the preview event, the grocer presented a $15,000 check to local nonprofit group Fueled for School.
Privately owned Meijer operates 500-plus supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets and express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company is No. 25 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Retailers of the Century and one of its 10 Most Sustainable Grocers for 2024.
