Meijer Moves to Traditional Butcher Shop Experience

Meijer is moving its meat department to a more traditional butcher shop environment, complete with certified meat cutters, full-service meat counters and the highest quality beef to continue to enhance customer experience. The Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer is the first – and only – retailer in the Midwest to upgrade its beef selection to exclusively carry only Certified Angus Beef, which is a higher grade than USDA Prime, Select and Choice. But, more importantly, Meijer is offering the Certified Angus Beef at the same price most retailers charge for USDA Choice, said Jerry Suter, vice president of fresh merchandise. “Meijer is always looking for ways to improve our customers’ shopping experience, and by making our meat department more like a traditional butcher shop, we are ensuring the best service for our customers,” Suter said. “We are exclusively offering Certified Angus Beef, the absolute highest quality beef, and continuing that tradition of carrying the best brands without the premium prices.” In 2011, U.S. consumers consumed 25.6 billion pounds of beef, according to the USDA. However, only 1.5 percent of all beef – and only one in four Angus-influenced cattle – is approved to carry the Certified Angus Beef distinction, which means passing 10 stringent specification standards. The Certified Angus Beef selection at Meijer makes up its entire meat department, including ground, chuck, steaks, roasts and even custom cuts available at the full-service meat counter. Meijer is also proud to announce the conclusion of its meat cutter certification program in June. All Meijer meat cutters – about three or four per store – are certified to meet the retailer’s standards, further ensuring quality custom cuts, precise portioning, and adherence to the strictest food safety practices. An apprenticeship program is slated to launch in January to train additional meat cutters. “Our team members in the Meijer meat department will now be able to provide even higher levels of customer service,” Suter said. “We are very confident that Meijer customers will be pleased with this added level of expertise now available to them.”