GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — While many holiday celebrations will look different this year, Meijer made sure hundreds of family could still celebrate through its Very Merry Meijer tradition -- hundreds of customers were surprised with $1,000 shopping sprees. And given the difficulties of this year, the retailer decided to expand its tradition to surprise 1,300 additional customers with $100 gift cards.
Executive Chairman Hank Meijer said this year it was more important that ever to uphold the tradition, "Each year we look forward to spreading holiday cheer and showing our customers and team members our appreciation through this event, and 2020 was no exception."
2020 is the seventh year of the the Very Merry Meijer event, and it has grown bigger than ever.
"It’s like a family tradition," Greenville, Mich. Meijer Store Director Leah Brown said. Brown said this year was even more special because of the additional $100 gift card surprises.
Meijer's 256 supercenters and stores were filled with shocked gasps, tears of joy and relief and many celebratory elbow bumps on Saturday, Dec. 5 as customers received their Very Merry Meijer surprises. And it wasn’t just the customers who were excited. Each store also surprised two Meijer team members with a $100 Meijer gift card to thank them for their efforts.
One customer, Emma Meara, was feeling a bit overwhelmed by this holiday season as she walked the aisles of the Fruitport, Mich. Meijer with her husband Jeremy on Saturday. In addition to the challenges of 2020, the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Aria, had recently undergone eye surgery.
After watching them carefully peruse the toy aisle, Meijer Board Member Doug Meijer surprised the young family with a $1,000 gift card. Emma immediately burst into tears and Jeremy asked if this was a joke.
“I have heard about stuff like this happening to people, but I never thought it would happen to us,” Emma said. “[It] makes me believe that there are still good people in the world.”
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