5 Things to Know About the New Detroit Meijer

Eager shoppers circled the packed parking lot looking for spaces Thursday as a Meijer super store opened in Detroit, but reaction to the new retail option just across Eight Mile Road was more mixed in Ferndale.

A question on the Ferndale Patch Facebook page about whether the new Meijer will change Ferndalians' shopping habits garnered more than 60 responses, including the following:

• Amanda Levitt: I'm excited and will shop there. A little sad they are not 24 hours.
  
• Jason Giarmo: Ferndale Foods will not be able to compete. My hope is it closes and someone will come in and redevelop that whole area. A nice residential/commercial development would be a great fit for that area.
• Lisa Bane: I am so excited. I'll probably still buy the bulk of my groceries at Ferndale Foods or Aldi, but it will be so nice to have someplace to go if I find out I need something at 10pm.
  
• Elie Boudt: I will continue to grocery shop at Western, gift pick from Rust-(Belt) & Naka, fill gas at the woodward Mobil, select flowers at Blumz & Nature Nook, organic from Natural Food Patch & Organic Food and so on. I appreciate the well-illumenated Meijer corner.
  
• Doug Lake: ... I'm sure they'll have this store crawling with additional security. They've even gone so far as to provide a place for the DPD to process paperwork. You'll probably see a DPD car outside the doors, all the time.
  
• Monday Busque: I must be in the minority that has never had a problem with Ferndale Foods. I've been going there for years, and while they have been a little rough around the edges, they've never done me wrong. And if I want some higher end produce or meat, I'll go across the street to Western. Sorry guys, I'll be keeping my $$ in Ferndale.

1. The Gateway Marketplace – located at the southeast corner of Eight Mile Road and Woodward Avenue at the former Michigan State Fairgrounds – also includes a Petco, which is open, as well as Payless ShoeSource, Marshalls and K&G Fashion Superstores slated to open soon.
2. The 190,000-square-foot Meijer super center includes a gas station, garden center, Huntington Bank and drive-up pharmacy.
   
3. The store will create more than 550 jobs.
4. The Detroit Meijer will feature State Fair Pale Ale, a craft beer from Detroit-based Atwater Brewery.
5. The store will be open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.