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We visited Wegmans stores in both a city and a suburb to compare and saw why the regional grocer is winning over shoppers
We visited Wegmans stores in both a city and a suburb to compare and saw why the regional grocer is winning over shoppers
Shoshy Ciment,Fabiana BuontempoJan 2, 2020, 22:57 IST
Wegmans is a regional grocer with a massive cult following.
The grocer has 101 stores in the New England and Mid-Atlantic region and is known for its in-house brand and hefty ready-to-eat food offerings.
We visited Wegmans stores in Brooklyn, New York, and in the suburb of Manalapan, New Jersey to see how they compared.
After visiting the two stores located in different areas, we understood the broad appeal of the grocer that is winning over customers in vastly different environments.
Aside from prices varying slightly, the overall appearance, cleanliness, and quality of products, at both Wegmans locations were consistent.
With just 101 stores across the New England and the mid-Atlantic regions, Wegmans is smaller than a lot of its competitors. But the store has a lot going for it, including an in-house brand, a wide array of ready-to-eat food options, and a charming store design made to look like an open-air European market.
Most Wegmans stores can be found in suburban locations nestled in states like Maryland, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York. However, the Wegmans in Brooklyn, New York stands out for its metropolitan location.
We visited the Brooklyn Wegmans on opening day in October and met people who traveled for miles to be there. We also met some locals who were thrilled that the regional grocer had finally made its way to the city.
We decided to compare the experience of the Brooklyn Wegmans with a Wegmans in the suburbs of Manalapan, New Jersey. Though they were located in completely different environments, the superb store experiences of each made it clear why the regional grocer appeals to so many people.
For our city-located Wegmans, we visited the new store in Brooklyn, New York.
Even though this store was located in a city, the interior was surprisingly large.
We loved the way the warm lighting and wood displays in the store made for a cozy environment away from the bustling city outside.
For a lot of shoppers, Wegmans is a destination. We met some people on opening day in October who said they often traveled over an hour to a Wegmans with a cooler to bring back groceries.
At this Wegmans, a coffee station at the front of store awaited weary travelers — or any shopper in need of a pick-me-up.
The produce section was large and we found a nice array of organic options. The prices were pretty standard, overall.
We also found a charming sign highlighting Wegmans' classic $0.49 a pound bananas.
The design elements were extraordinarily detailed. Walls were made to look like building facades, which featured everything from lights in the windows to fake awnings.
In the aisles, we found a ton of Wegmans-brand products that seemed to offer a great value.
These Vanilla Os were $3.99.
There was also a nice variety of name-brand products as well.
And we found a candy dispenser that gave us the option to fill our own bags of sweets to our heart's content.
Elsewhere in the store, we were delighted to find a variety of experiential elements that elevated our shopping trip. We had the chance to taste some Wegmans-brand Kombucha ...
... watch Parmigiano-Reggiano get sliced right before our eyes at a cheese station ...
... and observe some lobsters in a tank before they made their way to a plate.
All the while, we got to bask in the gorgeous displays that added something extra to the store.
The take-out and hot food section at the Brooklyn Wegmans was not to be believed.
There were sections for all types of cuisine, including Mediterranean and Asian ...
... as well as counters for sushi, pizza, and personalized burgers and salads.
Overall, the food at the Brooklyn Wegmans seemed like a great option for a quick meal on-the-go in the city.
Nearby, there was a fully-stocked bakery with gorgeous displays of mouth-watering cakes, cookies, and pastries.
Upstairs, there was a cozy sitting area for people to enjoy their meals away from the main store area. There was also a bar there, which is open during certain hours.
As we left, we saw that Wegmans fit right into the city, despite its origins in more suburban locations.
Pleased with what we experienced at the city Wegmans, we made our way to the New Jersey Wegmans next.
As soon as we entered the New Jersey Wegmans, we immediately noticed how similar the interior was, although this location was slightly larger.
Considering the city Wegmans is brand new and the New Jersey Wegmans is over 10 years old, this location appeared to be just as clean and organized as the newer one.
The New Jersey Wegmans also had a coffee counter right by the main entrance of the store.
The produce in both stores looked fresh...
...and the price of some produce was the same in both Wegmans stores.
It's clear that a lot of thought goes into the look of each Wegmans. Similar to the city Wegmans, the suburb Wegmans also had window-like details with flower boxes to make it look like building facades.
Just like the city Wegmans, this store was filled with Wegmans-brand products.
Wegmans Vanilla Os were also found at this location, but instead of $3.99 a box, they were priced at $3.49.
Wegmans' famous candy aisle was found at the suburb location but instead of the dispensers that the city store had. here the candy was in bins with scoops.
Wegmans is known for its quality meats, cheeses...
...and fresh seafood, which were all found at both Wegmans stores.
Wegmans displays are thoughtfully planned out, which easily entices customers to shop at them.
The New Jersey store's hot food displays and salad bars looked just as appetizing and fresh as the city store.
The New Jersey store's displays of cakes, cookies, and other desserts didn't disappoint either.
Both Wegmans locations had seating areas upstairs for customers to sit and eat. This seating area wasn't as fancy as the city location's but it was still spacious and open.
After visiting two Wegmans stores in totally different areas, there's no denying that the Wegmans brand prides itself on quality and consistency. Both stores had beautiful displays, reasonable prices, and fresh-looking produce and foods, making a shopper's experience very enjoyable.
