Meijer Set to Open Nine Units in 2005
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Meijer, Inc. has an aggressive capital expenditures program planned for the coming years, including the opening of nine new ground-up stores in 2005, John Zimmerman, director of community and customer relations, has told Progressive Grocer.
"Opening eight or nine new stores per year is the pace we want to be at from here on out," said Zimmerman, who noted that the chain in November will open a new store in Lincoln Park, Mich., "which will put us at 163 stores going into 2005.
"We will also conduct an awful lot of remodeling in the coming year, with 40 existing stores," Zimmerman added.
Meijer's 2005 expansion will feature 209,000 square-foot supercenters in Bloomingdale, Ill.; Gaines Township, Standale, Holland, White Lake Township, Ionia, and Southfield, Mich.; New Albany, Indiana; and Marysville, Ohio.
In other news, Meijer -- which pioneered the supercenter concept of selling groceries and general merchandise under one roof in 1962 -- was honored yesterday by the Michigan Retailers Association as the Retailer of the Year among large companies with annual sales above $20 million.
The award recipients represent the thousands of retailers across Michigan state "who make a difference in their communities through countless charitable and volunteer activities," according to Larry Meyer, chairman and c.e.o. of the Michigan Retailers Association, which established the annual awards in 1998. "The Michigan Retailer of the Year Awards bring to light remarkable stories of generous retailers who are deeply committed to their communities," added Meyer.
-- Meg Major
"Opening eight or nine new stores per year is the pace we want to be at from here on out," said Zimmerman, who noted that the chain in November will open a new store in Lincoln Park, Mich., "which will put us at 163 stores going into 2005.
"We will also conduct an awful lot of remodeling in the coming year, with 40 existing stores," Zimmerman added.
Meijer's 2005 expansion will feature 209,000 square-foot supercenters in Bloomingdale, Ill.; Gaines Township, Standale, Holland, White Lake Township, Ionia, and Southfield, Mich.; New Albany, Indiana; and Marysville, Ohio.
In other news, Meijer -- which pioneered the supercenter concept of selling groceries and general merchandise under one roof in 1962 -- was honored yesterday by the Michigan Retailers Association as the Retailer of the Year among large companies with annual sales above $20 million.
The award recipients represent the thousands of retailers across Michigan state "who make a difference in their communities through countless charitable and volunteer activities," according to Larry Meyer, chairman and c.e.o. of the Michigan Retailers Association, which established the annual awards in 1998. "The Michigan Retailer of the Year Awards bring to light remarkable stories of generous retailers who are deeply committed to their communities," added Meyer.
-- Meg Major