A Look Inside Meijer’s New C-Store
By Greg Lindenberg on Sep. 05, 2018GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Grocery supercenter and convenience-store retailer Meijer opened a newly designed c-store and gas station in late August. The new 5,500-square-foot store, a stand-alone site not immediately adjacent to a Meijer supercenter, is next to the retailer's Walker, Mich., headquarters and distribution center near Grand Rapids.
Interior signage dubs the store the "Walker Meijer M Express."
"We are proud to continue to roll out what we see as the future of convenience for our gas-station patrons," said Adam Whitney, vice president of gas stations and convenience stores for Meijer. "We believe our customers will appreciate the ease and accessibility that the new design offers.”
Meijer has more than 240 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin. It also operates more than 200 c-stores with gasoline across its six-state footprint. Meijer Gas Stations is No. 37 on CSP's 2018 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by number of company-owned retail outlets.
Take a look inside the new store …
Photographs courtesy of Meijer
The new location will be the first Meijer c-store to include a full-service Starbucks when the coffeehouse opens later this year. There will be two entrances—one separate and one connected—and it will include drive-thru service.
Eighteen fuel pumps are available at the new gas station, a 50% increase over Meijer's previous gas-station format. Expanded fuel options include diesel and an E-85 selection to accommodate flex-fuel vehicles. All pumps are equipped with "Fast Tap" technology for fast and secure payment on the go. Charging stations for Teslas and other electric vehicles (EVs) are set to open later this year.
The new c-store features an expanded assortment of freshly prepared foods, including sushi made daily; hot selections such as pizzas and chicken tenders; and locally prepared doughnuts delivered daily.
Meijer added a beer cave to the new c-store that features popular craft beers and national brands and an assortment of cold and on-shelf wines.
The new c-store offers a self-serve coffee station and large fountain bar with cold-brew coffee, frozen coffee and f’real milkshakes. Also available is a large seating area with free Wi-Fi and phone-charging stations.
The new c-store includes an expanded assortment of fresh produce and protein-based snacks, wraps, fruit and organic items, as well as grab-and-go meals prepared locally by Superior Foods.