In the News

Jennifer Saathoff takes her shopping seriously — at least when a new store opens. The Bradley resident was first in line for the opening of Meijer Supercenter this morning. She showed up with her fiance, Kevin Pawlowski, and his mother, Peggy, at 4:30 a.m. They brought out chairs, sitting next to a “Line starts here” sign. “I love this store. I’ve been to Meijer before,” Saathhoff said.

Almost exactly two years to the day that the Bradley Kmart closed its doors, the Meijer Supercenter, 990 N. Kinzie Ave., will open Thursday to the public. The doors are expected to be open at 7 a.m., with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 10 a.m.

Customers at the Richmond Meijer can help the Community Food Pantry by purchasing $10 Meijer Simply Give donation cards between now and June 17.

The most important numbers during next month's 5th Annual Meijer LPGA Classic won't just be found on the scorecards. Meijer officials threw out a big number during Monday morning's press conference at North Kent Connect in Rockford that is one to keep an eye on, too: $1 million.That's how much they to raise $1 million for its Simply Give program, which provides food for the retailer's food pantry partners across the Midwest.

Soon enough the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give will be back on and today, 13 ON YOUR SIDE learned more about the mission of the big event. The Meijer LPGA Classic is happening from June 12 to June 17 at the Blythfield Country Club. This year's goal is to raise a million dollars for food pantries in West Michigan.

The Salvation Army is partnering with Meijer this spring for the customer-driven food pantry donation program Simply Give. “Our food pantry can see up to 60 families a day visit us for assistance,” said Lt. Jonathan Taube of The Salvation Army of Muncie. “Many of them feel an extra strain in the summer without the help of school lunch programs for their kids.”

The Meijer LPGA Classic held their annual Media Day on Monday where they announced that all four past champions, plus Michelle Wie and Lydia Ko, will be returning next month for the tournament at Blythefield Country Club. Meijer also spent the morning donating four palettes of food to North Kent Connect where those who need food can shop up to once a month.

The field continues to take shape for the 5th Annual Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club. Meijer officials hosted a media day Monday morning at North Kent Connect in Rockford, and Cathy Cooper, the tournament's executive director, released the names of five recent commits. She said stayed tuned for more announcements in the upcoming weeks.

A golfing tournament that brings the top female golfers in the world to West Michigan while helping feed those in need turns five this year. Over the past four years of the Meijer LPGA Classic, Meijer has donated more than $3.1 million to food pantries. This year, organizers hope to raise an additional $1 million. The money raised through the tournament goes to Meijer’s Simply Give program, which supports 235 pantries across the Midwest by allowing them to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and lean meats.

If you or your kids are looking for a full or maybe part time summer job, Meijer is hosting a 3-day hiring fair that kicks off today. It runs Monday through Wednesday at the Pinnacle Center on Highland Drive in Hudsonville. Meijer says it’s looking to hire nearly 200 new employees for the new store which opens this summer.

For the 7th straight year, HOTEL INC is a recipient of some of the goods collected during this weekend's Realtors' Association Hope for Homeless. And through their association with Meijer, they can double the number of people they feed. And this year, children from 58 area schools will also be receiving food from this weekend's camp-out.

Officials from Meijer, Northern Michigan University and local municipalities gathered at Meijer in Marquette Township Friday when Meijer donated two semi-trucks and trailers to Northern Michigan University’s Commercial Driver’s License Truck Driving Program, which will begin this summer. “As part of the community, we enjoy giving back … We delivered two full semis, tractors and trailers to Northern Michigan University’s CDL program so they can begin to train students on truck driving,”John Spaulding, store director at Marquette Meijer said.

A new program at Northern Michigan University is getting some much needed help from a new organization in Marquette. Meijer donated two reconditioned semi trucks Friday to NMU’s new CDL Truck Driving Program. The trucks were given new tires and designs. The partnership between Meijer and the City of Marquette has been ongoing for a while.

Runners interested in competing in the June 16 Run #Forehunger Meijer LPGA Classic 5k Run & Walk presented by Kellogg's can now sign up. Register by clicking here. The race, which is sponsored by Gazelle Sports, will be held at Rockford High School beginning at 8 a.m. The participation fee for adults 18-and-up is $25 per person, and $15 for youths 17-and-under.

Healthy lifestyles start when kids are young. And running is fun for them too! This year, the Meijer 5K Run and Walk features a one mile kids fun run. You can run and walk as families and friends or as a corporate experience. It’s a great way to be healthy and join the exciting things happening at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.

Food for thought – if reading a book helped others in your community, would you do it? A group of third graders did. Whether it was reading in their hot tub, or to their pets, these students are feeding their minds while feeding those in need. More than 50 students from Twin Lake Elementary read on their own time for 31 days straight, all to raise money for charity. It's an example of little kids proving, they too can do big things.

If you haven't heard, now you will; Meijer has a new app that might change the way you shop. We told you about Meijer's new scan and shop app yesterday. It's supposed to make shopping easier, but, does it really save time? 13 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Sarah Sell decided to put this app to the test at the Meijer on Alpine Avenue, where Customer Experience Director Stephanie Brackenridge could provide some assistance.

Meijer plans to launch a self-scanning mobile application in Chicago-area stores by the end of the summer, a move likely to be followed by some larger retailers in the near future. The Shop & Scan service allows shoppers to scan products as they shop with a Meijer app downloaded on their phones and bag the groceries on the go. To check out, shoppers hold their phones up to a self-checkout register, then walk out the door.

Meijer's self-check out option is about to get faster. The Midwest retailer has unveiled a streamlined shopping checkout program, called "Shop & Scan" that lets customers scan barcodes and bag their groceries as they shop. "Shop & Scan will make the Meijer experience dramatically faster and more convenient for our customers," said Terry Ledbetter, the retailer's chief information officer in a statement. "This technology joins our curbside pickup and home delivery programs to provide yet another option for Meijer customers to personalize their shopping experience."

Meijer on Monday announced a new feature that will allow customers to scan items with their phone and bag groceries as they shop. People using ‘Shop & Scan’ can then scan their phone in the self-checkout area to finish shopping. “This technology joins our curbside pickup and home delivery programs to provide yet another option for Meijer customers to personalize their shopping experience,” Meijer’s Chief Information Officer Terry Ledbetter said in a release.

Meijer confirmed May 24 is the opening date for a new 195,000-square-foot supercenter in Marquette, Regional Vice President Gerald Melville announced in a news release Thursday. Melville said company leadership and local dignitaries will dedicate the store’s first day of business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Meijer confirmed May 24 is the opening date for a new 195,000-square-foot supercenter in Marquette, Regional Vice President Gerald Melville announced Thursday. Melville said company leadership and local dignitaries will dedicate the store’s first day of business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new Marquette supercenter is the third store the retailer has opened in the Upper Peninsula, and one of six new supercenters opening in Michigan. Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana this year.

The Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give is back for another round as it enters its fifth year and there's much more than just top-tier golf during the week of the event. Proceeds once again will benefit the Meijer Simply Give program to stock the shelves of food pantries across the Midwest. The previous 4 tournaments have already generated more than $3.1 million in donations. Tickets to the event, held June 12-17 at Blythefield Country Club, are now available online at meijerlpgaclassic.com. Daily tickets cost $10; weekly tickets cost $25. Kids, 17 and under, are free with a ticketed adult.

The Meijer Supercenter in Bradley confirmed its long-rumored grand opening date of May 17. The 24-hour, 195,000-square-foot store opens at 7 a.m. on the third Thursday of May. The Meijer gas station in front of the store along Illinois Route 50 will open April 19. The gas station also will be open around the clock.

Registration for the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic 5k Run & Walk presented by Kellogg's® is now open online. The race will be powered by Gazelle Sports, and will start at 8 a.m. June 16 at Rockford High School. Each participant will receive a branded T-shirt, two daily tickets to the golf tournament, valid any one day Tuesday through Sunday, and a complimentary breakfast provided by Kellogg's after the race.