Story posted Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Shoppers Pack New Niles Meijer
Shaun Bonner was hoping Monday afternoon would be his first reprieve in his new job.
But there they were, customers lined up four-deep at each register even though every lane was open. It's been a fun but busy first week for Bonner, the store director for Meijer, which opened in Niles last week.
Bonner tried to prepare, he even put in four temporary register lanes to accommodate the store's grand opening. But after hitting 18,000 customers in just a few days those temporary lanes are likely to become permanent.
"We didn't know really what to expect but it was fantastic," he said. "I was hoping today (Monday) would slow down a little bit and I was looking forward to a breather but it hasn't happened yet."
Meijer, a supercenter chain similar to Wal-Mart, is based in Grand Rapids, Mich. The company operates 189 stores in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky. The Niles location is sort of an experiment. At 102,000 sq. ft., it's about half the size of a typical Meijer and the focus is on groceries and the pharmacy.
Bonner said the positive showing in the first week is evidence that Niles residents wanted the store.
"The community has really taken us in," he said.
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