Meijer Near Me

Few supermarket chains can boast the popularity and price points that Meijer supermarkets can. This regional chain is known for its diverse grocery store offerings, great prices on home goods, and customer service.

Are you interested in finding a Meijer location near you? You’ve come to the right place! Simply browse Meijer near me on the map below and find a list of Meijer stores located within a close proximity to your current location. Need a bit more information on Meijer? Read on for interesting facts, trivia, and more!

Meijer Near Me – Find it on the Map

Meijer Near Me – Meijer Trivia

When was Meijer first established?

Meijer food stores are now known as one of the best grocery store chains in the United States. Mention a Meijer and odds are, someone will come back at you with a glowing review. But when exactly was this chain first established? Consider these facts as you search Meijer near me. The Meijer story all began with Hendrik Meijer who first emigrated from the Netherlands to the United States back in 1907. Meijer settled in Michigan, quickly opening a barber shop in 1914. The Barbershop proved a successful venture. By 1923, Meijer had expanded to a double store front. This wasn’t an easy feat at this point in history, especially for an immigrant new to the United States. When the Great Depression struck, Meijer found difficulty in finding a tenant to rent the new space in his Greenville, Michigan location. Instead of taking a financial hit, Meijer chose to follow his entrepreneurial instincts and fill the store on his own. He decided to open a grocery store. He believed that opening a grocery store would cover the building rent and help cover operating costs. With a total of $338.76 of goods all purchased on credit, Hendrik Meijer opened his first food store in 1934. He proved stiff competition for the grocer across the street as well as the more than 20 grocery store competitors already in town.

Meijer stores are known as a one stop shopping destination!

What was Meijer’s major goal in the early years?

Given that Meijer food stores were born during the depression era, it only makes sense that the earliest goal of Hendrik Meijer was to help meet the needs of those living in the depression era. These were lean times and many struggled, instead of benefiting, Meijer wanted to help his customers to save the most money possible. In addition to keeping prices low, Hendrik wanted to cut out any costs he possibly could. This made the concept of a self serve style market a total necessity. In order to speed each shoppers’ progress through the store, displays were built holding hand held baskets. Above the baskets, was a handwritten sign asking customers to take one and help themselves. This “self service” concept not only helped to cut out hiring additional help, but it increased the number of customers that Meijer could serve at one time. This aided in the growth of the business, which meant he could keep costs low while still turning a profit. By 1937, Meijer’s commitment to quality and customer service proved successful and he doubled the size of his original store. As you search Meijer near me, consider how one man’s commitment to helping others helped to start the self serve grocery revolution!

Meijer Near Me – Meijer Facts

A One Stop Shop

There are many things that you’ll find set Meijer apart from the pack as you search Meijer near me, but the one that stands out in glaring fashion is their ability to call themselves a “one stop shop.” Back in the 1960s, Meijer extended further into Michigan before entering the Ohio market as well. At this point in time, the brand needed something to set itself apart from all of the established grocery store chains crowding the market. To do this, Meijer initiated a one stop shopping theme. The company claims they pioneered the concept by offering customers a chance to buy a myriad of household items in addition to food and allowing them to check out at one counter. In addition to food staples, Meijer also offered garden and pet supplies, small appliances, jewelry, sporting goods, clothing, and home fashions. Because of this concept, growth skyrocketed and remained steady throughout the 1960s and 1970s. At this point, there were more than 20 store locations, some were even being set up with gasoline pumps. This was a concept that was truly unheard of at the time. Meijer even planned on building as many retail/gas station combo stores as possible, but unfortunately plans were stalled due to a 1978 law that prohibited a business from selling both gasoline and alcohol unless it was in a village with a population of less than 3,000.

An Early Meijer Innovation

As you can probably tell by searching Meijer near me, this store was always on the forefront of innovation and progress. One of the earliest innovations of Meijer was the addition of an electronic checking system in 1989. The Meijer 1 card gave customers the opportunity to withdraw money directly from their checking accounts automatically without the need for paperwork or identification verification. According to some, Meijer is the first store in the world to have set up a paperless software system through its cash registers. Not only could the company and banking institutions save money on check and processing fees, but it gave customers greater freedom in their methods of payment. This flair for convenience and innovation is what allowed Meijer to grow exponentially despite stiff competition for other one stop shop stores such as Walmart.