Meijer Debuts Smaller-Format Grocery Store in Cleveland

Regional grocer Meijer opened the Fairfax Market in Cleveland on Jan. 16, its fifth neighborhood market and the first outside of its home state of Michigan.

Fairfax Market is a neighborhood grocery store operated by Meijer that focuses on bringing fresh food and value to customers in a market-like setting. Located in the Cleveland Innovation District at 2190 East 105th Street, Fairfax Market is part of a mixed-use neighborhood revitalization project being developed in partnership with the city of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic, the Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. and Fairmount Properties. 

"Fairfax Market represents another opportunity to serve our customers in a community that offers so much potential for growth. We've spent the last year connecting with local vendors and asking neighbors what they'd like to see in the market," said Fairfax Market Store Director Alan Jordan. "As a result, we've worked to curate requested products and develop programs that will benefit our neighbors, such as multiple delivery options and on-site grocery pickup."  

At 40,000 square feet, Fairfax Market offers a wide range of products, including fresh meat and deli items, fresh produce, a bakery, and Meijer and national-brand items. It also carries more than 2,000 local products from 150 local vendors, including Cleveland Cold Brew Coffee, Micah's Supreme Sauce, PUR Spices, Akron Honey, Lemon Waves, and beauty care products from Catlin Naturals, a local Black- and woman-owned business.

Other market highlights include a 104-foot international section with products from Cleveland and around the world, a large assortment of local beer and wine, and a floral department and gift shop featuring PaperCutz Vintage greeting cards and posters, as well as paper flowers from Love, Anji. A 54-seat café space, open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., serves coffee, sandwiches, salads and other items from Saucy Coffee, and sushi from Hissho Sushi. The team at Cleveland Mural, led by local artist Glen Infante, designed and painted a vibrantly colored fresh produce mural on the south side of the building, where customers enter from the parking ramp.

Fairfax Market offers 90 minutes of free parking for customers in the covered ramp next door. On-site grocery pickup is available, with delivery offered through Shipt, Instacart and DoorDash. The store offers the Meijer mPerks rewards program, and accepts WIC and SNAP benefits. Fairfax Market is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

"Meijer is committed to investing in the communities where our customers and team members live and work, and that same philosophy applies to our neighborhood stores like Fairfax Market," said Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes. "We value the northeast Ohio community and are excited to continue growing our presence here with our first grocery store in the city of Cleveland."

[Read more: "BJ’s Readies 2nd Location in Central Ohio Market"]

Meijer opened its first store in Ohio in 1981 and has invested heavily in the state ever since. Upon the opening of Fairfax Market, Meijer now employs more than 11,000 team members at 53 stores statewide and its distribution and manufacturing facilities in Tipp City, and has plans for accelerated growth in northeast Ohio. Approximately 50 team members are employed at the new market.

During the past week, Fairfax Market demonstrated its support of the community by donating to two local organizations. The retailer donated $15,000 to the Fairfax Recreation Center, a community hub playing a central role in the social and physical well-being of the community for more than 50 years. In addition, the retailer donated $10,000 to Karamu House, the oldest producing African-American theater in the nation, featured in the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

Privately owned Meijer operates 500-plus supercenters, Meijer Grocery, neighborhood markets and Express locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based company is No. 23 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. PG also named the company one of its Top 10 Most Sustainable Grocers.