Meijer Launches Latest Wisconsin Store
Meijer has opened a new 192,000-square-foot supercenter in Waukesha, Wis., its sixth store since entering the state a year ago and one of nine that’s part of an ongoing $400 million investment in new and remodeled stores by the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer.
“It has been a great privilege bringing the Meijer difference to customers in Wisconsin over the past 12 months, and we look forward to continued expansion in the upcoming years,” CEO Hank Meijer said. “This is our sixth store in the state, and we are excited to continue our commitment to providing healthier, fresher options and build on our reputation for a great shopping experience here in Waukesha.”
Round-the-clock Groceries
The new Meijer store was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards and will be open 24 hours a day. The store offers more than 600 varieties of farm-fresh produce and a full-service meat department that features fresh seafood, Certified Angus Beef and custom cuts of meat. The bakery specializes in custom-decorated cakes and fresh bread baked four times daily.
In 2015, Meijer opened its first four Wisconsin supercenters in Grafton, Kenosha, Wauwatosa and Oak Creek. In addition to the Waukesha location, Meijer also opened a supercenter in Sussex earlier this summer. Meijer has made a major commitment to growth in Wisconsin and plans to open two to three additional stores per year through 2020, including potential locations in the Green Bay, Fox Valley, Greenfield, Manitowoc and Sheboygan area in the next several years.
“We’re thrilled to open our doors to the Waukesha community,” Store Director Phil Kelley said during the grand opening Tuesday. “We’ve worked hard for this moment and can't wait to provide our customers with our incredible combination of selection and quality at lower prices.”
The opening celebration began with a ribbon-cutting event, followed by remarks from Meijer leadership and local officials. Kelley presented $25,000 to the city of Waukesha to help fund improvements at the Les Paul Performance Center, Cutler Park and the Waukesha Public Library.
Following the ribbon cutting, students from La Casa de Esperanza went back-to-school shopping with Meijer gifts cards.
In addition to the retailer’s traditional grocery and merchandise, garden center and 24-hour gas station, the new Waukesha store's pharmacy will offer drive-thru pick up and the company’s free prescription program. The prescription program includes leading oral generic antibiotics with a special focus on prescriptions most often filled for children, prenatal vitamins and medications for those with diabetes and high cholesterol. Since its inception in 2006, the program has filled more than 34 million free prescriptions, saving Meijer customers more than $473 million.
As part of its ongoing community support, Meijer donates more than 7 percent of its net profit to charitable organizations annually, and each of its stores works with local food pantries and banks to help fight hunger at the local level. Since 2008, the retailer’s Simply Give program has generated nearly $24 million for its food pantry partners throughout the Midwest. This year’s fall Simply Give campaign will run through Sept. 24 and all proceeds will be donated to the Food Pantry of Waukesha County.
Meijer operates 229 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.