GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Smaller convenient store formats are popping up all over the place, and Meijer is throwing its hat into the specialty format ring. The retailer recently announced that its Woodward Corner Market, set to open soon, will be led by Natalie Rubino, Store Director at the Meijer Supercenter on Coolidge in Royal Oak.

Natalie Rubino, Store Director, Meijer Supercenter, Woodward Corner Market"I live and breathe this community already, but I'm really enjoying the opportunity to connect with it even more," said Rubino, who has been with the company since 2015. “I am honored to lead Woodward Corner Market and share its hyperlocal offerings and tremendous value in a community I call home."

According to a press release, the Woodward Corner Market will stand at 41,000 square feet and will focus on offering its customers a unique shopping experience. This is not totally dissimilar to Meijer’s first small format store, Bridge Street Market, which opened in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last April.

Smaller convenient store formats are popping up all over the place, and Meijer is throwing its hat into the specialty format ring

Woodward Corner Market will also feature:

• An estimated 2,000 local, artisan products, including Zingerman's Bakery, Jessica's Natural Foods, and Steve's Backroom
• An expansive international food aisle that will feature eight ethnic backgrounds, including Middle Eastern, kosher, Hispanic, European, and Asian foods
• A Great Lakes Coffee coffee shop that specializes in nitro brews
• Fresh and prepared foods, including bakery items, fresh meat, and deli offerings
• An expansive beer, wine, and liquor counter featuring a rolling ladder
• 25-foot ceilings
• Open air elements and a pedestrian-friendly design near the Beaumont Hospital campus, including six garage-style doors with outdoor fresh produce and floral area

Justin Stricklen, Director of Market Format Stores, Meijer"After the success of Bridge Street Market, we are excited to continue providing new ways to serve our communities," said Justin Stricklen, Director of Market Format Stores for Meijer. "We are excited about the impact Woodward Corner Market will make on the community, this Royal Oak development and on Meijer."

Rubino added, “I am excited to lead a great, independent team that will focus on helping our customers. We will be able to make quick decisions to accommodate in-the-moment customer requests."

Stick with AndNowUKnow as we follow the journey of new retail formats.

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