Meijer to open small-format, grocery-focused stores in Berwyn, Melrose Park

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Meijer continues to expand in Chicago’s suburbs with plans to open small-format, grocery-focused stores this year in Berwyn and Melrose Park, a spokesman said Wednesday.

The Berwyn store, which would be Meijer’s closest store to the Chicago city limits, 9 miles west of downtown, is planned at Cermak Plaza, known for previously housing a sculpture of skewered cars called the Spindle. No opening date is set.

The Melrose Park store, at the southwest corner of North and 9th avenues, is slated to open this summer, said Meijer spokesman Frank Guglielmi.

Each store will measure 90,000 square feet, employ 100 to 130 and focus on groceries, compared with a supercenter’s size of 150,000 to 200,000 square feet and work force of 300. Meijer operates 13 stores in Chicago’s suburbs and three in Northwest Indiana.