Meijer Makes 235 Unsuspecting Customers ‘Very Merry’ at the Checkout

Meijer made the holiday season extra merry for customers in each of its 235 Midwest stores on Dec. 16 by surprising them by paying for their entire cart of groceries and gifts.

For the fourth year in a row, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer randomly selected customers at the checkout, where their entire order was paid for. The Very Merry Meijer event also awarded cashiers handling the surprise transactions with $100 Meijer gift cards.

While store directors presented the majority of unsuspecting shoppers with their “holiday bonus,” execs and board members from the privately held retailer—including Hank Meijer, Doug Meijer, Mark Meijer and President and CEO Rick Keyes—also popped in to make the presentations, along with extending personal thank yous.

Reminding that “Christmas is the season that celebrates hope, joy and kindness,” Hank Meijer said the Merry Event event is a way for the company to “share the spirit of the season with those we hold dear: our customers and team members. We are very appreciative of our customers and team members, and wanted to find a special way to wish them a very Merry Christmas."

The Very Merry Meijer event covered tens of thousands of dollars in gifts to customers—with shopping carts ranging from $200 to upwards of $1,000 in value—and sparked a mix of emotions ranging from tears to hugs to speechlessness from fortuitous customers, as evidenced in a video that showcases their reactions.

"We strive all year long to put our customers first, and provide them with a great shopping experience through the quality products we sell, the service we provide and the many ways we offer savings," said Rick Keyes. "The Very Merry Meijer event continues to be that extra special way we express our appreciation” to both shoppers and team members, and reflects “what the holidays are all about."