Meijer is an American regional supercenter chain headquartered in Walker, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. The chain was the first retailer to launch the “supermarket” or “superstore” in the United States, when it opened the first Thrifty Acres in 1962. The company currently operates in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wisconsin, and is planning expansion into Pennsylvania. The combination of grocery and general merchandise under one roof, paired with competitive regional pricing and the company’s family ownership, has defined Meijer’s position within the Midwest grocery market for nearly a century.

The company was founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain in Greenville, Michigan, by Dutch immigrant Hendrik Meijer. He purchased $338.75 worth of merchandise on credit and together with his 14-year-old son Fred, opened Meijer’s Grocery. From this Depression-era start, Meijer expanded methodically across the Great Lakes region and eventually into neighboring states, growing into what ranks among the largest private retailers in America. The enterprise remains under family control, rooted in the founder’s commitment to affordable groceries and community service.

Retail Formats and Where It Operates

As of September 2025, Meijer operates 259 hypermarkets, superstores that combine groceries and department goods. Roughly half of them are in Michigan, while others are in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Most locations also feature an adjacent Meijer Express fuel station and convenience store. Meijer Express fuel stations offer Top Tier-certified gasoline, diesel fuel, and alternative fuels such as E85. Some Meijer stores also feature electric vehicle charging stations.

Beyond its core supercenters, Meijer operates smaller store formats. Meijer also has a medium-sized retail format known as Meijer Grocery that brings many of the non-food items that define its supercenters to grocery stores that span between 75,000 and 90,000 square feet. Meijer Grocery is a new type of store introduced in 2023. The first two opened in Lake Orion and Macomb Township, Michigan in January 2023. In January, the company opened the fifth location in its fleet of Fairfax Market supermarkets in Cleveland. The 40,000-square-foot store, located in a public-private development designed to help alleviate food insecurity and promote economic growth in the city, is the first Fairfax Market outside Michigan.

Meijer’s geographic growth has been deliberate and regional. The Greenville store was successful and additional Meijer groceries were opened in Cedar Springs (1942) and Ionia (1946). The first Grand Rapids store opened on South Division Avenue in 1949. This was followed by the first Mid-Michigan location in Delta Charter Township in 1966. Meijer expanded into Southeast Michigan in the early 1970s, beginning with a store in Ypsilanti in 1972 followed by their first Metro Detroit location in Canton in 1974. Meijer expanded into Northern Michigan with a location in Traverse City in 1977. The company entered Indiana in 1994, Illinois in 1995, Kentucky in 1996, and Wisconsin in 2015, with Ohio re-entered in 1996 after earlier exit. In June 2024, Meijer was reported to be scouting the Western Pennsylvania region, including Pittsburgh, for a possible expansion, which would mark Meijer’s entry into Pennsylvania. In September 2025, Meijer announced plans to expand into the region.

Company Background

The company was founded in 1934 as a supermarket chain in Greenville, Michigan, by Dutch immigrant Hendrik Meijer. In 1934, Hendrik Meijer saw an opportunity to take care of the customers who visited his Greenville, Michigan barbershop. He purchased $338.75 worth of merchandise on credit, and together with his 14-year-old son Fred, opened Meijer’s Grocery. The store employed early retail innovations including self-service shopping and shopping carts, features uncommon at the time.

Two Meijer Square stores were also opened in Michigan. The Ohio locations were largely sold to Zayre and Hills. Meijer returned to Cincinnati and soon Kentucky in May 1996, after both Hills and Ames had closed all of their Ohio stores. Meijer opened its first warehouse club store, SourceClub, in 1992.

In 1962, Meijer launched its modern format with a store at the corner of 28th Street and Kalamazoo Avenue in Grand Rapids called “Thrifty Acres.” At a size of 180,000 square feet, it combined grocery shopping and department store shopping in a single large store. This location is often considered to be the first “hypermarket” in the United States. Fred Meijer took over the company upon his father’s death in 1964. Under his leadership, the Thrifty Acres stores became a success and were renamed Meijer in 1986. On November 25, 2011, Frederik Meijer passed away at the age of 91.

Meijer was an early investor in Fresh Thyme Market, a regional grocery store chain in the Midwestern United States specializing in organic foods. Fresh Thyme had 70 stores across 10 Midwestern states as of January 2024.

Ownership, Structure and Financial History

Meijer remains privately owned by the Meijer family, descendants of founder Hendrik Meijer. The family maintains control through a private holding company structure, with Hank and Doug Meijer serving as executive chairmen. Meijer remains a private, family-owned retailer led by descendants of founder Hendrik Meijer, preserving long-term strategy over public-market pressures. Its ownership structure enables multibillion-dollar investments and steady expansion across the Midwest. The company has never been publicly traded, allowing the family to pursue long-term strategic goals without quarterly earnings pressure.

Meijer’s retail model centers on the supercenter format, where grocery operations and general merchandise coexist under one roof. This hybrid model produces thin margins typical of grocery retail, offset by high transaction volumes and opportunities to sell apparel, electronics, and seasonal goods. Meijer’s pricing strategy blends competitive everyday prices with a high-low approach emphasizing frequent promotions, weekly ads, and digital mPerks coupons to drive value for Midwestern shoppers. Unlike Walmart’s everyday low pricing (EDLP) model focused on consistent low shelf prices with minimal sales swings, Meijer often features deeper discounts on rotating items, particularly produce, meat, and staples, enabling savvy shoppers to achieve lower costs on promoted goods than Walmart’s regular prices.

Product Range and Store Brands

A typical store has a fresh grocery area, often featuring locally grown produce; a full-service deli; a fresh meat counter offering custom cuts of the highest quality meat, an expansive wine, beer and spirits selection; a drive-up pharmacy; and a health and beauty area. A Meijer store also offers general merchandise, such as clothing, electronics, toys and sporting goods, as well as seasonal items, such as a garden center in the spring and holiday décor around the holiday season.

Meijer maintains an extensive private-label portfolio. The Midwest retailer now carries more than 800 store-brand products rich in fiber and protein under lines like True Goodness, Frederik’s, Crafted Market and more. These include offerings from Fresh from Meijer, Meijer brand, Crafted Market by Meijer, True Goodness and Frederik’s by Meijer, the retailer’s premium line. The Meijer Gold line is a re-imagining of the line originally launched in 2005 to provide a premium version of everyday items. Through its Nutrition by Meijer program, customers can access virtual consultations with registered dietitians for personalized advice on increasing fiber and protein intake.

People and Workplace

Workers at many Meijer stores in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio are unionized, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers. UFCW 951 is the largest private sector union in the state, representing over 28,000 workers in a variety of industries, over 25,000 of which are Meijer workers. There are three separate contracts covering over 25,000 retail, distribution center/transportation, and retail facilities maintenance workers.

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 voted this week to ratify new Meijer contracts containing improvements to wages, paid time off, health care, 401(k), and premium pay. The contracts ratified in 2024 included wage increases and improved benefits. The healthcare benefits eligibility waiting period for full-time employees was shortened to 30 days from 60 days. New paid family care leave provides paid time off to care for family members with a serious illness. Guaranteed wage increases every 700 hours worked now instead of 1,000 hours worked in the retail units. The new Meijer contracts reflect this change in Michigan law as closed shop language was negotiated into the agreements. Under the contracts, all new hires will be required to join the union or pay a service fee as a condition of their employment.

In 2006, Meijer donated to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to create the paid position called the Frederik Meijer Chair of Dutch Language and Culture. The previous chair was unpaid. Its purpose is to promote interest in the Netherlands and Michigan’s Dutch cultural heritage. On April 29, workers at the chain’s Bainbridge, Ohio, location cast ballots by card check to join UFCW Local 880. The 238 employees working in departments throughout the store voted to join the union for better wages, benefits, and job security.

Market Position and Competition

Meijer competes primarily against national chains including Walmart and Target, regional grocers, and warehouse clubs across the Midwest. The company’s supercenter format allows it to capture market share from both grocery and general merchandise retailers. Its commitment to fresh produce and quality meats differentiates it from lower-cost discount competitors, while its supercenters offer broader selection and lower general merchandise prices than traditional grocery stores.

The company faces structural pressures from e-commerce, including online grocery and two-day delivery from larger competitors. Meijer has developed digital capabilities to address this challenge. As of 2024, meijer.com generated between US$261.9 million and US$275 million in revenue, with a projected growth of 0-5% in 2025, indicating continued digital growth. The company’s regional concentration in the Midwest, while a strength locally, limits its scale against national competitors.

Notable Developments and Outlook

In 2013, Meijer opened its 200th supercenter in Swartz Creek, Michigan. Previously, from 1988 until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, most Meijer stores were open 24 hours a day, 364 days a year, closed only on Christmas. Most Meijer stores are open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Meijer announced plans in 2022 to expand into the Greater St. Louis region, filing for approval to open a supercenter in Glen Carbon, Illinois. In January 2025, Meijer purchased land in O’Fallon, Illinois for a second store in the area. The company continues to invest in store modernization, new formats, and regional expansion, particularly in Ohio and adjacent markets. The Michigan-based company said it is on track to open or remodel about 20 stores in Ohio by 2025, adding that it is spending almost $500 million on the projects.