Meijer

[mpchicago]

Does anyone find it interesting that there are so many Meijer stores in the Grand Rapids area? For example on the NE side there is a location on Plainfield and on the Beltline, about six miles apart and eight minute drive between the two. Don

[PBJ]

Here is my theory. They simply do not want a Wal-Mart Supercenter or a Super Target on their turf. Do you think the area can support this many Meijers? Will they have to close the older Alpine, Plainfield or 28th and Kalamazoo stores at some point?

The one on K-zoo and 28th I could see staying, b/c the next closest one is out in Rentwood, and that one serves probably a pretty large poplulation compared to some of the others. Now, if they could just tear it down and build a newer/nicer or remodel it that would be awesome, b/c it's in bad shape.

[snoogit]

Does anyone find it interesting that there are so many Meijer stores in the Grand Rapids area? For example on the NE side there is a location on Plainfield and on the Beltline, about six miles apart and eight minute drive between the two. Don

[GRDadof3]

Does anyone find it interesting that there are so many Meijer stores in the Grand Rapids area? For example on the NE side there is a location on Plainfield and on the Beltline, about six miles apart and eight minute drive between the two. Don

[snoogit]

im always shocked to see the big meijer sigsn in Detorit too as well as pretty much all the way to Sandusky. I also saw one in Chicago a while back.

[ModSquad]

The one on K-zoo and 28th I could see staying, b/c the next closest one is out in Rentwood, and that one serves probably a pretty large poplulation compared to some of the others. Now, if they could just tear it down and build a newer/nicer or remodel it that would be awesome, b/c it's in bad shape.

I rarely go to Meijers, but when I do it is always 28th and K-zoo, or as my teenage kids used to say..."The Ghetto Meijers." I think that the condition of this store is an embarassment. With all the money that has been pumped into the corporation from this location over the years, we deserve a nicer store.

[GRDadof3]

I rarely go to Meijers, but when I do it is always 28th and K-zoo, or as my teenage kids used to say..."The Ghetto Meijers." I think that the condition of this store is an embarassment. With all the money that has been pumped into the corporation from this location over the years, we deserve a nicer store.

I have to say I really like the way that put in that Walgreens across the street. It's nice how they preserved many of the original trees into the landscaping. It really softens that corner.

[publius]

The one on K-zoo and 28th I could see staying, b/c the next closest one is out in Rentwood, and that one serves probably a pretty large poplulation compared to some of the others. Now, if they could just tear it down and build a newer/nicer or remodel it that would be awesome, b/c it's in bad shape.

That is the original GR Meijers superstore, dating from the 60's, and the original place the subsequent "Thrifty Acres" name was used for many years (with Meijer's in small letters), after which expansion took place to other GR locations under the full name "Meijer Thrifty Acres"; then later corporate settled on simply "Meijer's" after which came the logo more gentle color makeover, lol..

It used to look more like an assemblage of expansions and additions, prior to a fake front shell being added to the roofline five-seven years ago to make it look a bit more like the others.

It is I believe the smallest in square footage of all the current Meijer stores, and they have looked into expanding it toward the south, cause I know a property owner in the street just to the south who told me about five years ago Meijer folks had once approached some to see if there was any interest in selling as a neighborhood--could be some said no, or could be zoning officials were discouraging about converting that street from residential...

[PBJ]

I rarely go to Meijers, but when I do it is always 28th and K-zoo, or as my teenage kids used to say..."The Ghetto Meijers." I think that the condition of this store is an embarassment. With all the money that has been pumped into the corporation from this location over the years, we deserve a nicer store.

Well.. we call it that too, but I just didn't want to get into another flame war over words.. And to another posters point, I was kinda wondering if they haven't redone it, or smashed it down just for the simple fact that it IS the original, and maybe a little to close to Fred's heart. I remember the Thrifty Acres sign (I grew up around there)..

Oh, and I have a friend who gets pretty upset at calling it "Meijers" when cleary it says on the sign "Meijer"..

[GRDadof3]

That is the original GR Meijers superstore, dating from the 60's, and the original place the subsequent "Thrifty Acres" name was used for many years (with Meijer's in small letters), after which expansion took place to other GR locations under the full name "Meijer Thrifty Acres"; then later corporate settled on simply "Meijer's" after which came the logo more gentle color makeover, lol..

It used to look more like an assemblage of expansions and additions, prior to a fake front shell being added to the roofline five-seven years ago to make it look a bit more like the others.

It is I believe the smallest in square footage of all the current Meijer stores, and they have looked into expanding it toward the south, cause I know a property owner in the street just to the south who told me about five years ago Meijer folks had once approached some to see if there was any interest in selling as a neighborhood--could be some said no, or could be zoning officials were discouraging about converting that street from residential...

It's so funny that so many of us, including myself, call it Meijer's. "I'm going out to Meijer's, I'll be back". When the name is just MEIJER, LOL. My brother in Chicago tells me people give him a hard time when he says "Meijer's" (the "s" must be a Michigan thing).

[snoogit]

It's so funny that so many of us, including myself, call it Meijer's. "I'm going out to Meijer's, I'll be back". When the name is just MEIJER, LOL. My brother in Chicago tells me people give him a hard time when he says "Meijer's" (the "s" must be a Michigan thing).

I think its just a West MIchigan thing because I got strange looks when I said "Meijer's" in Detroit

[allbusiness]

The most interesting thing I've heard from Meijer was when their real estate guy spoke to the ICSC meeting in GR last year. He said then that their latest accomplishment was building a huge Meijer store right across the street form an existing Walmart in Indiana or Illinois, I think.

He said it with a great deal of attitude, which was rather refreshing -- as if to say, "We gave them a taste of their own medicine."

[Florida]

I'll take Meijer over Wal-Mart anyday. When ever I'm in GR I love to go to Meijer... love the one in Wyoming.

[GRCentro]

I rarely go to Meijers, but when I do it is always 28th and K-zoo, or as my teenage kids used to say..."The Ghetto Meijers."

Midnight runs to Ghetto Meijer are are a social life staple for Calvin students. Incoming students practically learn "Ghetto Meijer" before they even know the name of their dormitory. The nickname is, of course, pretty ironic considering that one can certain to hear several different languages spoken there on any given day...

But anyway, I will always patronize Meijer before Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc. Fred Meijer, I believe, demonstrates the ideal example of good philantropy.

[MJLO]

ok I'll take this one,

One of my close friends works high up in the Meijer corporate structure.

Store 12, or as my friends and I have called it for years, Ghetto Meijer, is slated to close, they are losing money hand over fist there. Alpine as of right now is getting a slight facilities makeover ie a little paint here and there, Just maintenance upkeep. I believe they are working on land to move the Alpine Location a little further north past six mile I believe. And as far as most people are concerned. Plainfield needs to go. Plainfield Avenue as a whole needs to go! To me it is a relick of times past, no longer a major thoroughfare, it's full of unkept retail mom and pop places, that give me the creeps. Everytime I have to drive down Plainfield I'm taken back to a time of Mullets and shoulder pads, as if time there has stood still since 1986.

As for Ghetto Meijer, I can not trust a retail establishment, where you can buy milk and socks all in the same aisle!

[ModSquad]

Interesting how we get from Meijer to ghetto, but hey, such is the nature of this forum sometimes. Actually that is why I like it. Anyway, I digress. Since I was the one who originally used the word "ghetto" in reference to Meijer, I do feel the need to expound a bit on this particular word.

Of course we all know that when my kids call it "Ghetto Meijer" they are referring to the fact that it is less than the other stores...i.e. that car is so Ghetto, or stop acting so Ghetto. I hear this saying a lot in my neighborhood, it is used across all cultural lines, and does not appear to be too offensive.

However,when you consider other possible definitions of the word most neighborhoods in Rockford, Cascade Township, and certainly Railside in Byron Center are also a ghetto.

Here is a definition from Princeton:

ghetto

n 1: formerly the restricted quarter of many European cities in which Jews were required to live; "the Warsaw ghetto" 2: any segregated mode of living or working that results from bias or stereotyping; "the relative security of the gay ghetto"; "no escape from the ghetto of the typing pool" 3: a poor densely populated city district occupied by a minority ethnic group linked together by economic hardship and social restrictions.

I point out that while the word Ghetto certainly means what most think it means (number 3 above), it also means "any segregated mode of living or working that results from bias or stereotyping." I am not sure about the thought process of living in a gated or exclusive community, but I dare say it is a segregated way of living.

OK I know completely off the Meijer topic, but I could not resist.

BTW-If Meijer closes the K-zoo/28th street store I am personally boycotting them! I am already pissed off at Target for moving further away from the central city through their latest move on 28th street.

[Coleco]

One solution to the 28th and Kazoo store that has been suggested is having the city sell Indian Trails Golf Course to a developer for something like a new Meijer. Meijer could stay in the neighborhood, the city could cash in on an asset that's arguably no longer necessary given the number of cheap golf options in the area and "ghetto Meijer" would no longer sell socks next to milk.

Given the city's budget situation, this seems like an easy way to pocket a few million bucks while preserving badly needed full-service grocery and general merchandise sales in the area.

[GaryP]

One solution to the 28th and Kazoo store that has been suggested is having the city sell Indian Trails Golf Course to a developer for something like a new Meijer. Meijer could stay in the neighborhood, the city could cash in on an asset that's arguably no longer necessary given the number of cheap golf options in the area and "ghetto Meijer" would no longer sell socks next to milk.

Given the city's budget situation, this seems like an easy way to pocket a few million bucks while preserving badly needed full-service grocery and general merchandise sales in the area.

This is a good idea!

[snoogit]

I believe they are working on land to move the Alpine Location a little further north past six mile I believe.

Now I heard that they are closing Alpine and building a new store at 4 Mile and Walker, but that depends on if that cabella's rumor is true.

[torgo]

One solution to the 28th and Kazoo store that has been suggested is having the city sell Indian Trails Golf Course to a developer for something like a new Meijer. Meijer could stay in the neighborhood, the city could cash in on an asset that's arguably no longer necessary given the number of cheap golf options in the area and "ghetto Meijer" would no longer sell socks next to milk.

Given the city's budget situation, this seems like an easy way to pocket a few million bucks while preserving badly needed full-service grocery and general merchandise sales in the area.

This is slightly off the meijer topic, but it is my understanding that the Indian Trails Golf course is only temporary as that land was originally supposed to be a cemetery. Since the city didn't need that much land, its a golf course for now, but when they need more space for cemeteries, it will be in that location.

[twoshort]

Store 12, or as my friends and I have called it for years, Ghetto Meijer, is slated to close, they are losing money hand over fist there.

Thats surprising. It's ALWAYS busy there and it serves a pretty big market from eastown to kentwood. I guess kentwood has their own now and eastown can go to knapps corner. I can't imagine it not being there when I lived near ottawa hills though.

[snoogit]

Thats surprising. It's ALWAYS busy there and it serves a pretty big market from eastown to kentwood. I guess kentwood has their own now and eastown can go to knapps corner. I can't imagine it not being there when I lived near ottawa hills though.

Store 12 is Plainfield (Heh sorry I used to work there, so I know far too much)

[twoshort]

Store 12 is Plainfield (Heh sorry I used to work there, so I know far too much)

So is Plainfield closing? 'Cause, to me, that makes a lot more sense.

[GRDadof3]

Wow! That whole idea about Indian Trails is intriguing! Since it sits right next to the Conrail/CSX/? right of way, that golf course site could become GR's first transit-oriented development, with a whole mixed use village including a two story Meijer. No neighbors to the immediate North to complain (just Alger), no neighbors except for the mid-rise retirement center to the West and the cemetary, high rise apartments to the East, and 28th to the South.

Brilliant!

[GaryP]