Meijer plans to open a small-format supermarket in Cleveland on Jan. 16, marking the first time the Midwestern supercenter operator has taken its neighborhood market concept outside its home state of Michigan.
The 40,000-square-foot location, known as Fairfax Market, will carry goods including produce, fresh meat, deli items and baked goods, according to a Tuesday press release. The store, at 2190 E. 105th St., will also offer over 2,000 local products from companies including Cleveland Cold Brew Coffee, Micah's Supreme Sauce and Akron Honey, the retailer said.
Meijer announced plans for the new store in December 2021, noting at the time that the location could begin operations by early 2023.
Fairfax Market will occupy space in a mixed-use development in Cleveland’s Fairfax neighborhood aimed at tackling food insecurity and promoting economic development. The $52.8 million public-private project, a joint effort of the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Clinic, Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. and Fairmount Properties will also include nearly 200 apartments. In 2021, the city granted about $2.36 million in tax incentives to support the development, Cleveland.com reported.
“Fairfax Market is committed to being more than just a new store. We will be an involved partner, investing in the community and supporting local businesses,” Fairfax Market Store Director Alan Jordan said in a statement.
Meijer, which specializes in running large-scale stores that often top 200,000 square feet, operates several other small-format grocery stores, including locations in the Michigan cities of Grand Rapids, Royal Oak and Lansing. All of the small-format locations specialize in “bringing fresh, affordable, and local products” to the communities they serve, according to Meijer.
Officials involved with the Cleveland project invited Meijer to participate after visiting Meijer’s small-format store in Grand Rapids, according to a 2021 Cleveland Clinic press release.
In addition to the grocery store concept Meijer is preparing to bring to Cleveland, the retailer runs Meijer Grocery, a format unveiled in 2022 that straddles the line between the neighborhood market design and the much larger retail locations that are the company’s mainstay. Stores in the Meijer Grocery category are intended occupy between 75,000 and 90,000 square feet and “feature all the categories customers need for a weekly trip to restock the home,” according to Meijer.
The first two Meijer Grocery stores opened earlier this year in Orion Township and Macomb Township, Michigan.
