GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Midwest retailer Meijer brought holiday joy to nearly a thousand customers and team members during its 12th annual Very Merry Meijer event. At each store across the Midwest, Meijer leaders embraced the holiday spirit by surprising an in-store or pickup customer with a $1,000 gift card and multiple Meijer team members with $200 gift cards.
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Very Meijer Merry began in 2014 to help spread holiday cheer in stores and has grown into a beloved annual tradition across the company, as these acts of kindness help relieve the stress of the holiday season.
"Shopping for the people you love most is one of life's greatest joys, and we're honored to play even a small part in making that possible. This is our heartfelt way of helping customers who may need extra support to make the holiday season truly magical for their families," said Meijer President & CEO Rick Keyes. "Moments like these fill our stores with the spirit of giving and remind us why we do what we do — it's all about thanking our customers and team members within the communities we proudly serve."
The surprise gifts are given to customers at random, either while they are shopping or in the checkout lane. Many shared moving stories of how the surprise allowed them to celebrate this holiday season and were touched by the gesture from the Midwest retailer.
In Columbus, Ohio, Store Director Jonathon Jones selected Nina, a customer who is a single mother of three. Nina was recently laid off from her job, but was still focusing her time on helping others, and had spent the morning serving families from her church.
In Lincoln Park, Mich., south of Detroit, Store Director Neil Joiner chose a family that included a woman named Victoria and three young children. After a conversation, Neil learned that the children were her nieces and nephews, as she was helping her sister through a difficult divorce, which had resulted in losing her home and her job. When Victoria received the gift cards, she was overwhelmed with gratitude. This gift would allow them to get gifts for all the children, including one little girl who mentioned during the conversation that what she wanted most this year was five Barbies. To complete the surprise, Neil presented her with five Barbies wrapped and ready for Christmas, explaining that Santa shops at Meijer and sometimes leaves behind presents for kids. Her smile lit up her whole face as she sweetly exclaimed, "Look! Santa spelled my name!"
Meijer also continued its tradition of celebrating its team members through the Very Merry Meijer festivities, surprising three team members in each store with $200 gift cards.
"One of our team members was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, and despite his health struggles, has continued to show up with a smile, lift others up and serve our customers and community without pause," said Kristina Nabors, Store Director in West Chester, Ohio. "I was able to present him and his wife, also a team member, with a gift card to help support their family through this time. Very Merry Meijer reflects what we value most: taking care of our people, in the same way we take care of our customers."
View the 2025 Very Merry Meijer highlight video and follow the fun on social channels at #VeryMerryMeijer.
