MEIJER'S MISSION, FROM THE TOP

HANK MEIJER

Most of Our Customers think first of fresh, high-quality food when they think of health and wellness at Meijer. With our launch earlier this year of Meijer Organics, we took an important step toward our goal of providing a broader, better selection of organic and natural products than any other large-format retailer. We provide more than 150 certified organic choices, from fresh vegetables to frozen pizza, from tortillas to ice cream. We'll be adding more before the end of this year.

Our organic offering is fully integrated throughout our stores, because we believe that while not all of our customers are committed organic shoppers, they are passionate about what they want for their family, and passionate about shopping with someone who understands that choice is a highly individual thing. Whether it's organic, gluten-free, hormone-free or just the freshest meat, produce or seafood, our customers can find what they need for the lifestyle they choose.

Our supercenter format allows us to address customer interest in health and wellness on the broadest level. Whether it's garden tools or exercise clothing, yoga mats or books or DVDs, we can complement our customers' food choices with an array of other wellness products.

We also take our healthy living initiatives beyond the walls of our store. From virtual solutions through our website, Meijer.com, to wellness booths at local festivals, kids' expos and women's shows, we address our customers directly everywhere we can. Our team of nutritionists provides healthy living solutions, including recipes, menu planning and advice on weight and stress management and healthy food choices. Here, again, it's helpful to be a supercenter. Our healthy living advisors can recommend a walking shoe or stationary bike or an exercise regimen along with nutritional advice.

If we think about it holistically, health and wellness go way beyond the healthy living aisle to influence everything we do. At Meijer that includes construction of our first LEED-certified store, using sustainable building practices, and joining with the Nature Conservancy to promote the sale of noninvasive plants in our garden centers. We have also rolled out E85 ethanol pumps at many of our gas stations for passenger cars, while working with our own logistics operation to create systems that reduce the fuel consumption of our truck fleet.

Our customers are increasingly sophisticated. They combine cost-consciousness with a growing awareness of choices that affect their lives and the lives of those around them. It's our job — and our privilege — to meet their needs.

Hank Meijer is co-chairman and chief executive officer of Meijer Inc., which operates a chain of 181 self-service combination supermarket-discount department stores located in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. A grandson of company founder Hendrik Meijer, Hank joined the family retail business at the age of 11 as a bagger.

Hank started his adult professional career as a reporter for a southeast Michigan suburban newspaper group; he became editor and later publisher of The Crier, a weekly newspaper in Plymouth, Mich. He rejoined Meijer in 1979 as assistant advertising director, and became marketing director in 1983.