Meijer targets Minnesota

Meijer targets Minnesota

Meijer, which operates 224 stores, began in 1938 when barber Hendrik Meijer purchased $328.76 worth of merchandise on credit to serve customers during the Great Depression. Photo via fb.com

Meijer is staking its claim to land in Minnesota.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports that Meijer purchased about 30 acres of land in the Twin Cities suburb of Brooklyn Park.

The article posted last week cites a previous report from the news outlet suggesting that Meijer has scouted the state heavily in the past several months.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal says the site’s developer, Opus Corp., declined the comment, and Brooklyn Park officials could not be reached for comment.

Frank Guglielmi, senior director of communications at Meijer, told the Grand Rapids Business Journal today that he “can confirm Meijer has purchased property in Brooklyn Park.”

“However, it’s very early in the process, and we currently have no set timeline for entering the Minneapolis market,” Guglielmi said.

Target, a retailer with more than 1,700 stores, is based in Minneapolis.

Meijer's expanding footprint

The Grand Rapids-based retailer operates 224 stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Wisconsin.

Meijer most recently expanded into Wisconsin with a Milwaukee store last year, with plans for more in the future.

Earlier this month, Meijer announced it will spend more than $400 million on new stores and renovations this year.

The company has opened 36 stores since 2010, with each one employing about 300 people.

“We will continue our process of slow, steady growth,” Meijer CEO Hank Meijer said when he announced this year’s planned investment. “This plan has allowed us to remain focused on our customers and team members, while growing our business and ensuring we continue to innovate in the marketplace.

“We are pleased to continue to grow and invest in the Midwest communities that have supported us for so long.”