Meijer readies opening of Woodward Corner Market

Supercenter retailer Meijer plans to open its second small-format store, called Woodward Corner Market, in Royal Oak, Mich., in January.

Plans call for the 41,000-square-foot Woodward Corner Market, located in the Woodward Corners by Beaumont mixed-use center at Thirteen Mile Road and Woodward Ave., to open its doors on Jan. 29, Meijer said Thursday. The store will bring a mix of fresh, convenient food and everyday low pricing to customers in the region, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer said.

Meijer noted that Woodward Corner Market marks its first small store concept  in metropolitan Detroit. The company opened Bridge Street Market, a 37,000-square-foot neighborhood grocery store on the west side of Grand Rapids, in late August 2018.

"Our small-format stores like Woodward Corner Market and Bridge Street Market provide new ways to serve our customers," Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. "The team is working hard, and we are excited to share Woodward Corner Market and see the positive impact it will have on this community." 

Designed as an open-air market, pedestrian-friendly Woodward Corner Market will have 25-foot ceilings and six garage-style doors that, in the warmer months, will open to an outdoor fresh produce and floral area, Meijer said. The store’s wide assortment of fresh and prepared foods will include bakery items, fresh meat and deli offerings; Meijer and national-brand products; and about 2,000 local and artisan items, including Daily Dozen Doughnuts, New York Bagel and Bath Savvy Soaps.

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Inside, customers also will find a Great Lakes Coffee coffee shop that specializes in nitro brews; an extensive beer, wine and liquor counter; and an expansive international food aisle. Meijer said the latter will serve up foods from eight ethnic backgrounds, including Middle Eastern, kosher, Hispanic, European and Asian. The store, too, will provide a selection of health, beauty and household products.

“Woodward Corner Market will offer a unique shopping experience to meet the needs of our customers, and we can't wait to open our doors," said store manager Natalie Rubino, who previously served as store director of the Meijer supercenter in Royal Oak. "We are actively engaging the community to not only be a good neighbor but also ensure we have the best products on our shelves."

Meijer said Woodward Corner Market will be the largest commercial tenant in the Woodward Corners by Beaumont development, which is anchored by Beaumont Hospital. The center also includes national and local retailers and restaurants, such as Wahlburgers, New Order Coffee and Bucharest Grill.

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Bridge Street Market in Grand Rapids, Mich., Meijer's first small-format grocery store, marked its one-year anniversary in late August.

Similarly, Bridge Street Market anchors a mixed-use development that spans a city block and includes residential, office and retail space. The store sports an open-air design as well, with 22-foot-high ceilings, exposed architecture and three garage-style doors that open onto the sidewalk along Grand Rapids’ Bridge Street. The store also contains a Mayan Buzz Café coffee shop, and shoppers can park at a connected parking deck.

As of its one-year anniversary on Aug. 29, Bridge Street Market expanded its locally sourced product assortment by 33% to more than 5,000 local items, Meijer reported. The store also offered 130 feet of vegan products, averaged 220 organic produce items weekly and sold more sushi than any Meijer location across the Midwest, the company said.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the success of Bridge Street Market this first year," Justin Stricklen, director of market format stores for Meijer,” commented at the time.

Meijer, whose supercenters average around 200,000 square feet, aims to open a half-dozen small-format urban stores by 2021, according to published reports. Overall, the retailer operates 246 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.