Meijer surpassed its 2025 carbon emissions target one year ahead of schedule, according to the retailer’s latest Corporate Impact Report released to mark the company’s 90th anniversary.
The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based chain achieved a 57 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2018 levels, exceeding its original 50 percent reduction goal. The family-owned retailer operates more than 500 locations across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.
“Our commitment to reducing carbon emissions would not have been possible without the dedication of our team members, who remain committed to integrating sustainability efforts into our daily operations,” Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in the report.
Founded in 1934 as Northside Grocery in Greenville, Michigan, by Hendrik and Gezina Meijer during the Great Depression, the company has grown from a small-town grocery store into one of the Midwest’s largest privately-owned retailers. The company maintains family ownership with third-generation leadership and donates a minimum of 6 percent of annual profit to community organizations.
“At Meijer, our roots run deep, anchored in a simple yet profound belief: That every person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” the report shared. “The idea of doing ‘good from within’ permeated our culture and how we go about our work long before it became a buzzword.”
Some of the highlights of the report include:
Carbon emissions progress driven by facility upgrades
The emissions progress stemmed from a comprehensive facilities upgrade program. Meijer converted all retail location lighting to LED systems, implemented advanced building controls for energy management and conducted ongoing building recommissioning to optimize efficiency. The chain also prioritizes lifecycle asset management to replace equipment with more efficient alternatives and tests emerging technologies including geothermal refrigeration systems.
On refrigerant management, Meijer achieved the lowest corporate-wide refrigerant emissions rate among all EPA GreenChill Program partners nationwide for the fourth consecutive year. The accomplishment reflects systematic refrigerant emissions management across the retailer’s extensive refrigeration infrastructure.
The company installed more than 2,300 solar panels on the rooftop of its Sycamore, Illinois, supercenter, which opened in 2020. Meijer also received SmartWay‘s 2024 Excellence Award for performance and operational efficiency in transportation emissions.
SNAP access expanded through digital integration
Meijer became the first retailer to accept SNAP benefits through its mobile app, allowing customers to pay for groceries using Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for pickup, home delivery, and in-store Shop and Scan purchases. The retailer doubled its discount on select milk products to 40 percent off any brand or size of 1 percent and fat-free milk for SNAP participants through the USDA’s Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives program.
More than 65,000 SNAP-eligible households have benefited from the milk discount since launch. Meijer also offers a 10 percent discount on qualifying produce purchases for SNAP participants and free home delivery for SNAP customers.
The chain was the first retailer nationwide to accept SNAP benefits through the Flashfood app, which provides deep discounts on surplus and close-dated food. Meijer diverted 3.7 million pounds of potential food waste through the Flashfood partnership in 2024.
Small Business Vendor program shows 120 percent growth
Meijer’s GROW Academy provided mentorship to 150 vendor partners from 2022-24, delivering expert-led workshops in data analytics, strategy development, marketing, co-branding and social media. The program offers personalized one-on-one mentoring with Meijer merchants to help high-potential businesses scale operations.
The retailer saw 120 percent growth in vendor spend since 2020. Participating vendors paid $100 million in incremental wages since the program’s inception.
“At Meijer, our commitment to supporting small businesses is rooted in our history,” the report states. “Our founders were entrepreneurs who took a bold risk during the Great Depression – creating opportunity for their family while helping their community. That same entrepreneurial spirit continues to thrive within Meijer today and inspires our dedication to helping local businesses grow alongside us.”
Meijer’s vendor readiness program guides suppliers through retail preparation, from obtaining UPC codes through GS1 to securing nutritional facts through certified labs and meeting state and federal licensing requirements. The program covers category research, pricing strategies, competitive analysis and pitch preparation.
Cage-free egg transition reaches majority milestone
The majority of eggs Meijer sells across its six-state footprint are now cage-free, including 100 percent in Michigan starting in 2025 where the chain maintains its largest store volume. Meijer originally committed in 2016 to sell only cage-free eggs but adjusted its approach based on differing state legislation, customer preferences and supply chain challenges.
“This great progress puts us in a strong position that we feel reflects the current dynamics,” the report states. “Moving forward, we will continue offering a significant inventory of cage-free eggs but will maintain a small amount of non-cage-free egg availability to help us manage through supply chain issues and meet customer preferences.”
Environmental initiatives expand beyond carbon
Meijer invested in BeBot and PixieDrone robotic beach cleanup technology for Great Lakes protection. The devices collected nearly 12,000 pieces of litter weighing more than 650 pounds in 2024. BeBots clean beaches by sifting sand to collect litter while PixieDrones skim marinas, rivers and inland lakes for floating debris. The devices were used 99 times in cleanup efforts during the year.
The retailer donated $250,000 to the Council of the Great Lakes Region Foundation to bring cleanup technology to the Milwaukee River and nearby beaches. Meijer hosted five volunteer cleanup events on Lake Michigan beaches where 271 people including team members and vendor partners collected more than 300 pounds of litter.
“By combining technology, community engagement and environmental stewardship, we’re taking tangible steps to protect our freshwater resources from the ground up,” the report states.
Meijer introduced its first baby gear recycling event at all supercenter locations, collecting 26,000 pounds of car seats, strollers and travel systems. The retailer worked with an organization to break gear into recyclable components.
The chain collected nearly 10 million pounds of plastic film for recycling in 2024, including grocery bags, ice bags, dry cleaning bags, and store packaging not typically accepted by single-stream recycling facilities. Meijer recycled 257 million pounds of cardboard across operations.
Meijer diverted more than 10 million pounds of surplus food from landfills through partnership with Feeding America. More than 16 million pounds of potential food waste at stores was diverted through compost and animal feed programs. Combined with the Flashfood partnership, the retailer diverted about 30 million pounds of potential food waste.
The retailer piloted a seed donation program in 2023, distributing end-of-season seed packets to local food pantries and underserved families for planting the following season. The program expanded across all six operating states in 2024.
Legacy awards honor outstanding employees
Meijer presented its Fred Meijer Award to Maureen Mitchell, regional VP, who has spent 15 years with the company. The award is given annually to one team member who embodies the spirit of founder Fred Meijer through humility, generosity and passion for service.
The retailer awarded the Earl Holton President’s Award to five team members: Blaine Bishop, associate ITS manager; Candy Tam, logistics manager; Ethan Thomas, store director; Cassie Walker, supply chain pharmacy tech; and Monica Wyant, produce business manager. The award honors leadership, excellence, and innovation upholding the legacy of former Meijer President Earl Holton.
“As I reflect on what has made Meijer successful over the last 90 years, I think about the three generations of family leadership who made it a priority to create a unique company culture focused on treating customers and one another with dignity and respect,” Keyes said. “Our culture once again led us to be recognized as a Great Place to Work in 2024, for the sixth year in a row.”
Executive Chairman Hank Meijer emphasized continuous customer focus during the company’s 90th anniversary. “The reason we’ve been able to evolve and grow over 90 years from a little grocery store to a new concept in retailing is because we continue to look at how we can better serve customers in multiple ways,” he said.
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