Meijer history

In business since 1934, Meijer has created up to 10,000 private-label brands.

By 1937 Hendrik Meijer had doubled the size of his original store.

In 1942 Meijer opened a second store.

The Grand Rapids, MI-based retailer will celebrate that historical event that occurred on June 6, 1962.

“Don’t Just Drop Stamps—Give Customers Something Better,” Progressive Grocer, February, 1963.

The growth of Meijer was overshadowed, however, by the death of founder Hendrick at age 57 in 1964.

Grand Rapids area Meijer stores are now open on Sunday, followed by all stores throughout the retail chain in 1976.

Meijer expanded into Northern Michigan with their 33rd location in Traverse City opening in 1977, which is still open to this day.

Though Meijer planned to build more retail/gas station combination stores, its plans were stalled by a 1978 law prohibiting a business from selling both gasoline and alcohol unless it was in a village, town, or municipality with a population less than 3,000.

In 1980, Meijer began a discount pharmacy chain called Spaar (from the Dutch word for "save"), which opened four stores in 1980 in former Meijer supermarket locations.

One year after launching the Spaar brand, in 1981, Meijer began opening Meijer Square stores, which were traditional discount department stores lacking a full grocery section.

Casual Court was renamed Tansy in 1982.

Hank Meijer, "Thrifty Years: The Life of Hendrik Meijer", Eerdmans, 1984

In 1985, Forbes magazine reported Walmart at the time had failed in what were then known as hypermarkets because Sam Walton and company did not understand the grocery business.

Under his leadership, the Thrifty Acres stores became a success and were renamed Meijer in 1986.

In an effort to sell alcohol in its Michigan stores, in March 1988 Meijer pushed passage of a state bill to change the ten-year-old law prohibiting the sale of alcohol and gasoline from the same location.