Dive Brief:
- Wegmans announced plans to open its first supermarket on Long Island, the East Coast grocery chain announced in a press release on Monday, noting it does not have a timeline for construction and opening as of yet.
- The grocery chain said it has entered into an agreement to buy 8.5 acres of the existing 28-acre DSW Plaza in Lake Grove, New York, where it will put the 100,000-square-foot location.
- The upcoming store is the latest step by the Rochester, New York-based grocery chain to grow its presence in the New York City metro area.
Dive Insight:
At 100,000 square feet, the upcoming Long Island location marks one of the biggest yet for the grocer around the Big Apple.
Wegmans announced last summer plans to open an approximately 82,000-square-foot store in Manhattan during the second half of 2023 — its second New York City location. The grocer’s Brooklyn location, which opened in 2019, is 74,000 square feet. Meanwhile, its West Harrison, New York, store, which opened in 2020, is 121,000 square feet.
Wegmans will own its store in Lake Grove, and New York real estate company Prestige Properties and Development will continue to own and operate the rest of the plaza, according to the press release.
Lake Grove Mayor Robert Scottaline said in the announcement that Wegmans’ arrival in the village will “rejuvenate all of the retail in the area,” noting he expects the grocer to draw shoppers from "near and far."
In announcing the upcoming location, Wegmans made note of its “extensive array” of benefits, which it said include premium pay on Sundays and holidays, tuition assistance through the company’s employee scholarship program and flexible scheduling.
Wegmans, which operates 106 stores across seven states, previously announced plans to open stores in Virginia and Delaware, which are expected to open within the next two years.
