Meijer Grocery chain met with reluctance

Waukesha- Right in the shadows of big box stores like Wal-Mart, Woodman’s and Pick n’ Save, is Panos Fresh Market in Waukesha, a small Hispanic shop with just enough of everything else to keep folks coming back. They’ve fought to keep their doors open as major supermarkets compete for big business. Surprisingly, their niche offering is working, according to employee Nancy Benitez, business has remained steady.

10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">\"When they opened Woodman’s we were still the same, we were always busy.\"

But yet another chain store is waiting to grab customers from Panos, just blocks away Meijer will open its doors. There One shopper says it’s too much.

10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">\"There's no reason to have two Pick N' Saves all within a mile of each other, with a Super Walmart, super Target, Meijer, it's just over-saturated,\" Pat Ward said.    

Shopper Pat Ward may have a point. The Meijer will sit directly across from Pick n' Save on Sunset Drive and Tenney Avenue, the other 6 major grocery chains are also a short distance, most less than a mile. Some believe competition might mean lower prices. But for Panos it's another big hit to the small businesses.

10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">\"I think corporations keep coming in and swallowing up these little guys.\"  

10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">There are eight Meijer’s in the works, one in Grafton, Wauwatosa, Sussex, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Waukesha, Kenosha, and Janesville. 

10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">The Waukesha location is still in the planning stages.