WATCH: Meijer's Favorite Christmas Tradition Is Heart-Warming

MICHIGAN — It began in 2014 as a small gesture to make the holidays brighter and now has become an annual tradition for the Michigan Meijer stores.

Each holiday season, Meijer executives and store directors host a Very Merry Meijer, a one-day event to surprise an unsuspecting customer at each Meijer store by paying for their entire shopping cart. Each Meijer cashier who handled the surprise then gets gifted a $100 Meijer gift card, making for a merry Christmas all around.

“After five years, Very Merry Meijer is still my favorite day of the year. There’s nothing quite like playing Santa with our Meijer team members and revealing the big surprise for our customers,” Meijer Board Member Doug Meijer said. “We know the holidays can be stressful, but this event truly spreads Christmas cheer.”

The fifth annual event was no exception on Dec. 15 with store officials saying they saw tears of joy, screams of delight and so much holiday spirit at each of the retailer’s 241 stores.

Over the past five Very Merry Meijer events, Meijer gifted more than 1,150 customers their shopping carts full of toys, clothes, electronics, food and small appliances. The gifts totaled more than half a million dollars.

The O’Neil family spent a lot of time at the Marysville Meijer on Saturday, filling three carts with clothes, toys, electronics and shoes. They were donating everything to the Common Ground Free Store in Delaware, Ohio, which is a place where those in need can get the items they need for free. When they realized Meijer was paying for everything, they decided to donate whatever the total amount was to Common Ground Free Store on top of the items. Turns out it was $1,595.18.

“Christmas is the time to celebrates hope, joy and kindness, and we were so excited to continue our Very Merry Meijer tradition and share the spirit of the season with those we hold dear: Our customers and team members,” Executive Chairman Hank Meijer said. “Our family has always believed that our customers don’t need us, but that we need them. That philosophy still guides us today, which is why we wanted to find a special way to say Merry Christmas.”

Meijer released a video today that showcases how the retailer surprised its customers. In most cases, the store director revealed the gift upon checkout, but Hank Meijer, Doug Meijer, Board Member Mark Meijer, and Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes also helped spread holiday cheer.

“We strive all year long to put our customers first, and provide them with a great shopping experience through the quality products we sell, the service we provide and the many ways we offer savings,” Keyes said. “The Very Merry Meijer event continues to be that extra special way we express our appreciation to them, and our team members. That is what the holidays are all about.”

Screenshot via Meijer video