Meijer — Local services in Independence Charter Township

I think this Meijer Independent store is a nice addition to the area to pick up great produce, lots of specialty products from our Michigan merchants, meats, wine, an area to sit down and have a cup of coffee and something to eat. Meijer Independent stores are not designed to be like their big brother "hypermarket stores". There's plenty of items that aren't found in regular Meijer stores. One example, they carry loaves of Cripelli bread near the entrance to the store. Great Lakes Pot Pies in the frozen food cooler. For those of you that like a variety of prepared specialty foods, you'll likely find several things that would be of interest on your first visit. Someone mentioned prices. You'll find sales but it's merchandized a little differently. The sale specials are seen where the product price sku is on the shelf facing and in the flyer where it's more of a clean presentation without the clutter of sale flyers everywhere. In other areas like produce, prices are hand written above the section of the product as well as sku prices by the product. Some people may need that, but I found what I was looking for pretty easy. Nino Salvaggio and Whole Foods merchandize like that too. Like any new store, you have to visit a few times to get oriented with the layout and learn where things are located. This is not a huge store but it's very personable. To me yes it has its Meijer roots but to me it's a refined Meijer giving it a bit of different culture than the regular Meijer which I liked that about the store. Grocery shopping delivery service people will quickly become familiar like anyone else in a new store. Yes, it's all self serve check out with store associates nearby and easily accessable to help out if needed. Everything with the self checkout register software is the same look as what's used at a regular Meijer including your mPerks number. Glad this store...

Such a great concept, location and atmosphere let down by some strange omissions (no bakery, no deli, no butcher), self checkout only and high prices.

The atmosphere is great with tall ceilings and lots of natural light. The first time I went in, I was really impressed. The wine, beer and other alcohol they have is well laid out and a good selection.

They’ve also brought in some unique local providers of other products to highlight (ie. Local cheeses, breads)

But suddenly, when I was looking for things that you might find in a Whole Foods or a Papa Joes, I was disappointed. Yes, they have meat, deli foods and bread, but no they do not have a butcher (or at least not one you can see) and you can not order pre-made and seasoned kabobs, have them slice meat for you, or get the exact portion you want. Also, some of the meat looked ‘off’ (ground beef was ‘grey’ - not good).

Yes, they sell deli meat, but it’s all pre-packaged. No real deli.

And yes they sell baked goods, but they don’t have a bakery for fresh products.

And then there is the pricing. I did a sample on a few things and the pricing is higher than Whole Foods (!). 8 pack of Waterloo drinks for the price of a 12-pack at Whole Foods. Justins Peanut Butter costs $8 for 1/2 the size at Whole Foods. And definitely more expensive than Kroger or the Meijer down the street near Costco.

The final insult? For all of the premium pricing, you can only check out by yourself. 100%...

Disappointing and Underwhelming Not What Clarkston Needed.

I was really looking forward to the new Meijer Independence Market in Clarkston, but sadly, it’s a big letdown. While the store is new and the staff are friendly, the overall experience is disappointing. It feels more like a glorified grab-and-go or a scaled-up Gordon Food Service than a true neighborhood market.

There’s no deli counter, no bakery, just a few loaves from Crispelli’s and the produce section was surprisingly weak. For a town like Clarkston, which values quality and community, this store misses the mark completely. It lacks the heart and soul you’d find at places like Nino Salvaggio’s or Vince & Joe’s. I really wanted to love this store but frankly, I don’t understand the purpose of opening this location. It offers nothing new that we don’t already have in the area. Without a unique draw or high-quality offerings, I don’t see this place thriving long-term. Very...