Meijer, Inc.

Is Meijer family owned?

Yes. Meijer is owned by the Meijer family, descendants of founder Hendrik Meijer. Hank and Doug Meijer serve as co-chairmen.

Is Meijer publicly traded?

No. Meijer is a private company and has never been publicly traded. It is one of the largest private retailers in the United States.

When was Meijer founded?

Hendrik Meijer founded the company in 1934 in Greenville, Michigan, during the Depression.

Did Meijer invent the supercenter?

Yes. Meijer opened the first supercenter, "Thrifty Acres," in Grand Rapids in 1962, combining full grocery and general merchandise before any other retailer.

What is Meijer's revenue?

Meijer's revenue is estimated at approximately $21.9 billion per Forbes, with the company not publishing audited figures as a private entity.

Where does Meijer operate?

Meijer operates more than 270 stores across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Wisconsin.

Hendrik Meijer, a Dutch immigrant barber in Greenville, Michigan, founded the company in 1934 during the Depression, buying a grocery store's stock for $328.76 to serve his community. He ran it with his teenage son Fred, who became the visionary who transformed a local grocery into a retail innovator.

Fred Meijer pioneered the supercenter format in 1962, opening "Thrifty Acres" in Grand Rapids, the first store to combine a complete supermarket with discount general merchandise under one roof. The concept preceded Walmart's supercenters by more than two decades and established Meijer as a retail pioneer.

The company expanded across Michigan and into neighboring Midwest states through the following decades, building a network of supercenters combining groceries, pharmacy, apparel, electronics, and services. Fred Meijer became a regional institution, known for community philanthropy, until his death in 2011.

Third-generation leadership continued expansion and modernization, adding smaller grocery formats, developing digital and curbside services, and investing in store experience. In 2023, Rick Keyes became the company's first CEO from outside the family, a governance milestone, while Hank and Doug Meijer retained co-chairmen roles and family control.

Meijer has maintained a relatively low controversy profile for a major retailer, with issues limited to routine food-safety recalls and standard retail labor relations matters.

The company faces the industry-wide pressures of labor costs, competition, and retail transformation, but has largely avoided major scandal. Its community engagement and regional philanthropy have built a positive reputation in its core markets.