Almost exactly a month from now, the climate for grocery shopping in southeastern Wisconsin will see some significant changes.
The first two Meijer stores in the state – in Grafton and Kenosha – will open their doors. The 190,000 square foot stores will feature the sorts of products you’d find at both a supermarket and also a retailer like Target, following the supercenter model.
Meijer seeks to be a one-stop shopping center and hopes that their company's philosophies will appeal to Wisconsinites and their Midwestern values.
"We're a family owned, privately held company. We know family is an important thing in the state of Wisconsin. On just about every level, we feel like it's a great fit for us," says Meijer’s communications director Frank Guglielmi.
Two more stores will open in Wauwatosa and Oak Creek in August, and the foray by Michigan-based Meijer into the market is likely to have repercussions for some of the area’s long-established chains.
"Pick 'N Save has 42% of the Milwaukee market share...and so the idea is that just by virtue of their size, they have a big target on their back," says retail writer Alison Bauter of the Milwaukee Business Journal. She wrote an article about Meijer's entrance into Wisconsin.
Time can only tell how the grocery dynamic will shift in the Milwaukee area as Meijer plans to open two to three stores per year in Wisconsin, estimating a total investment of more than $750 million in development by 2019.
