CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. \u2014 Brand new grocery stores, the first ones of their kind, are planning to open in the Pittsburgh area.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re setting up shop in busy Cranberry, which is already booming with several grocery options.<\/p>\n
One of them is a Meijer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey feel like they\u2019re coming shopping in their neighborhood, and they feel friendly and welcome in a nice, clean environment,\u201d said Ashley Mitchell, Store Director of Boardman Meijer.<\/p>\n
The Michigan-based retailer has stores in 6 states, soon to be 7. It\u2019s expanding into Pennsylvania, building its first store in Cranberry. \u00a0As Channel 11 has reported, Meijer is supposed to be built near the intersection of Rt. 228 and Franklin Road.<\/p>\n
Channel 11 Morning News Anchor\u00a0Jennifer\u00a0Tomazic went out to the Meijer store in Austintown, Ohio, to show you what to expect when one opens in Butler County.<\/p>\n
Tomazic asked Mitchell how she sees it impacting grocery competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t comment on how we\u2019re going to impact them, but I know what we can bring and what we have to offer: it\u2019s a fresh new shopping experience,\u201d said Mitchell.<\/p>\n
Mitchell says the store in Austintown is one of their newer models, and she says the one in Cranberry could look like this one.<\/p>\n
She touted wider aisles, Meijer brand products, and things beyond groceries, like clothes, pet supplies, and a pharmacy, all in one place.<\/p>\n
But the big question Tomazic had for everyone at Meijer is how the prices compare to other grocery prices.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to stay very competitive with our pricing,\u201d said Mitchell. \u201cWe always want to make sure we show value.\u201d<\/p>\n
Channel 11 asked our consumer expert, Clark Howard, what two new stores will do for grocery prices in the Pittsburgh area?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s fantastic for everyone to have new competitors coming into the market. Everybody has to respond. Either with better services, but at first, everybody responds with better prices,\u201d said Howard.<\/p>\n
A mile and a half down Rt. 228 is where Wegmans will be built. It\u2019ll be on Cool Spring Drive, right near UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.<\/p>\n
The company says groundbreaking and construction will happen later this year, and at this point, it doesn\u2019t have an opening timeline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wegmans also wouldn\u2019t confirm if the company is eyeing the Galleria in Mt. Lebanon as a second location, only saying it continues to evaluate properties in the Pittsburgh market.<\/p>\n
We surveyed shoppers in Cranberry about what grocery shopping is like for their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be stressful with the prices going up,\u201d said Kinsey Bowser. \u201cI\u2019m pregnant with twins, so when they come, we\u2019ll be a family of five, and that\u2019ll be a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s awful. I mean, you go in, and you think you have a set amount in your head like, \u2018oh, I\u2019m going to go in and spend $100.\u2019 And I end up with three bags and have $180 on my receipt,\u201d said Nick Bartley.<\/p>\n
Tomazic asked Giant Eagle about what this new competition will do for grocery prices. The company sent this statement:<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Giant Eagle, we are committed to bringing customers an outstanding, high-quality, and value-driven shopping experience every day. Since launching our Because It Matters strategy last fall, we have continued to invest in competitive everyday pricing, strong promotions in our weekly circular, expanding Own Brands portfolio, and our myPerks loyalty program.<\/p>\n
Right now, our focus is on ensuring that we have the products and value our customers both need and expect for the big and small celebrations that we look forward to this spring and summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We\u2019re proud of Pittsburgh, and we are not surprised that others see what we\u2019ve known for 95 years – that our region is second to none. We will continue to show up for our communities as we work to bring the best version of Giant Eagle to life today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.”which<\/p>\n
Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n