Special Report Meijer

Meijer has always been a company that focuses on its customers first. Meijer has always kept its mission statement: “Customers don’t need us, we need them,” at the core of everything it does. This mentality has driven the company from its inception in 1934. Since then, the company has been steadfast in its commitment to its consumers and communities each location serves.

History

During the Great Depression, Hendrik Meijer decided to purchase $338.76 worth of merchandise on credit, and with this purchase, Meijer and his son Fred opened Meijer’s Grocery in Greenville, MI in an effort to meet a local need.

In 1938, Meijer fought hard against the economic hardships that remained. The company purchased shopping carts in an effort to provide a more convenient shopping experience for customers. It wasn’t until 1941 that Meijer opened its second location in Cedar Springs, MI. Continuing its course to pave the way as a trailblazer in the industry, Meijer appointed a woman to helm its second location: Johanna Meijer. The company continued to advocate for and hire female leaders and by 1945, half of the Meijer team members were women.

In 1962, Meijer opened its first Thrifty Acres, which was a food and general merchandise store that focused on providing everything customers needed in one shop. In 1981, Meijer branched out and opened locations in Ohio, and seven years later the company began to remain open for 24 hours a day with more than 50 locations.

Since Meijer had been known for its innovation and staying ahead of the trends, Meijer launched Meijer.com, expanding its platform with online shopping in 1996. In 2006, the company added pharmacy services, and two years later the retailer introduced two hunger relief programs: The Simply Give and Food Rescue programs.

In 2012, the retailer celebrated its 50th anniversary, and announced it expanded into dairy production through the Purple Cow Creamery. In 2013, Mei-

“As a company, we've opened more than 500 supercenters, neighborhood markets and Meijer Express locations, and that feeling of excitement and anticipation as you welcome customers in for the first time never gets old. But opening the doors of these stores feels particularly special because of the unique need they'll fulfill in our customers' everyday lives."

— Hank Meijer, Meijer

jer opened its 200th location in Swartz Creek, MI, staying close and humble to its roots.

Two years later, Meijer entered its sixth state when it opened four stores in Wisconsin. The company also acquired Aureus Health Services, which is a national specialty pharmacy and health services company.

Today, Meijer has more than 500 supercenters, neighborhood markets and express locations, with 123 of them in Michigan, and the rest in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Leadership

Meijer has remained a privately held, family run company. Today, there are 70,000 associates with Hank Meijer and his brother overseeing Meijer as Executive Chairmen, along with Vice Chairman Mark Murray and President and CEO Rick Keyes.

Keyes has been with the company for 32 years and was appointed president in 2015. He was named CEO in 2017 and was the first non-family member to hold the position. In order to create and implement growth plans, Keyes has continued to collaborate with Hank Meijer. These tactics include boosting the customer experience, encouraging team member engagement, and keeping a competitive edge.

Recent News

While the company has continued to keep consumers at the forefront, Meijer has recognized that consumers rely on convenient shopping solutions. With this in mind, the company recently partnered with Uber Eats to provide consumers with a fluid and smooth shopping delivery service option. “Meijer is known for freshness—fresh food, fresh thinking and a focus on innovation makes them a natural partner for Uber,” said Christian Freese, Uber’s Head of Grocery and New Verticals in the US and Canada. “We’re thrilled to be bringing their fresh selection to Uber and Uber Eats across much of the country, and to be working together to deliver musthave groceries to America’s doorsteps.”

In January 2023, Meijer opened its first two Meijer Grocery stores in Lake Orion and Macomb Township. The grocery stores were expected to provide the Metro Detroit population with a new way to shop. Meijer Grocery is regarded as a new variety of Meijer store that mainly concentrates on offering a simplified and improved shopping experience in terms of convenience and aesthetics.

The stores are 75,000-90,000-squarefeet featuring fresh produce, in-store meat cutters, bakery and deli-services, in-store and drive-thru pharmacy, and other various convenient services such as traditional check out lanes, self-checkout and Shop & Scan shopping options. "We look forward to seeing these new stores further our mission of enriching lives in the communities we serve, not just by offering convenient shopping solutions and positive economic impact, but also as strong and active community partners," Keyes said. "When we plan a new store, our relationship with that community begins long before the doors open and strengthens as we grow."