Wegmans Tandoori Oven

[herbacidal]

True--but perhaps "travel time" might even be more of an initial factor than "distance?" And travel time is critically affected by the traffic congestion and road layouts of a location.

i agree that that travel time is a factor. i just think that initially it isn't as much of a factor in most people's initial perception. although that may be less true in the NYC and DC areas because of traffic issues ongoing.

in philly we are relatively blessed by having a commute time that is not quite as bad, at least according to recent article, as many other metro areas. i think it was mid range within 50 metro areas. i suspect both NYC and DC would be higher on that list, but that's just random speculation.

i do think that travel time will be an increasingly large part of people's calculations when they consider this, as we continue our sprawl and commute times and etc. get worse.

yes, suspicions and generalizations on my part as well.

As far as profit margins herbacidal--yes, that's another of the many plusses going for Wegmans--their prices are every bit as competitive as the Shop Rites and Safeways of the world yet Wegmans still manages to offer more diversity and a higher level of quality and customer service.

not saying it can't be done. wegmans is doing it very well, from all accounts. just that private company gives additional flexibility sometimes.

and that's enough time wasting for me. i got stuff to do and been procrastinating.

[mehmeh82]

well here is more news about Tastings Restaurant:

http://goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AI...ESS05/110040332

It appears Danny's restaurant ideas have been a success. This is interesting to me because it is the first article in which I've heard Danny comment on the success of his new restaurant. He is looking to expand (although I don't know why he picked the Erie stores. There are far nicer stores elsewhere. Princeton does about $500,000 more per week than either of the Erie stores). That said, don't be surprised if your beautiful New Jersey stores end up with a Tastings over the next few years.

Edit: Oh, and another thing. I think the food retail industry profit margin average is about 2-3%. I know for a fact that Wegmans profit margins have hovered between 5% and 7% for the past few years. We combine great selection with incredible service and customers will be willing to pay any price premium.

Edited October 4, 2003 by mehmeh82 (log)

[Steve Klc]

Still, you haven't specifically addressed whether Woodbridge will have the Pierre Herme-developed line of patisserie. Do you know?

[hjshorter]

Other locations we've been looking at include Owings Mills and Rockville (both in MD)

OMG. That would be excellent.

Love, Heather (Rockville resident )

[mehmeh82]

I am sure the Woodbridge Wegmans will have a Patisserie with Herme desserts. I dont think we open stores without Patisseries anymore. Most of the bigger, older stores have been retrofitted with the chilled marble countertops. Which (big) stores have you been to where there has not been a Patisserie? I know Ithaca doesn't but there are good reasons for it. The only restrictions on what they can sell in the Patisserie are chocolates by the pound. Wegmans can sell as many nicollettes and opera cakes as it wants.

Oh, and I read somewhere someone was complaining why they locked up the black and white truffles. I can offer an anecdotal explanation for this because we used to not lock them up. In Ithaca, rush week (Cornell University and Ithaca College) would come around and the rushing students would run into the store, load up on truffles, and make off with them into the night. Apparently this was some kind of frat initiation stunt. Store security let us know what was going on, but we really couldn't do much since the whole thing takes only a few seconds. So, we had these little plastic boxes constructed and locked up the truffles. Someone thought it was a good idea to put them in all the stores, so that's why you have locked-up truffles (except Dewitt. In Dewitt, the truffles are kept in little plastic cups). Now they don't get stolen anymore.

The end.

[rozrapp]

I think the food retail industry profit margin average is about 2-3%.  I know for a fact that Wegmans profit margins have hovered between 5% and 7% for the past few years.  We combine great selection with incredible service and customers will be willing to pay any price premium.

I love the Manalapan Wegmans, particularly their fish dept.

While there are many customers willing to play "any premium price" for Wegmans' selection and service, there is a lot of supermarket competition in the immediate area. (There is also Delicious Orchards, in Colts Neck, about 20 minutes away, which many people -- including me -- are willing to travel to.) In order to remain competitive, Foodtown, ShopRite and Pathmark all enlarged and upgraded their facilities and offerings once Wegmans began building. Last week, a Wegmans flyer arrived in my mail with columns showing price comparisons for a long list of items sold at Wegmans, Foodtown, and ShopRite, with the Wegmans' prices being the least expensive. So, obviously, Wegmans is concerned -- at least in this area -- about comparison shopping.

[rockhopper]

I'm not the slightest bit familiar with New Jersey counties, but if Ocean, Cherry Hill, Wayne or Middletown are in Bergen County, then watch the news there (these are the only NJ locations I've seen plans for). 

None of them are in Bergen co. Cherry Hill is near Philadelphia and the next town over from me (Haddonfield). I hope you're not teasing about that.

I just looked at the wegmans website and I didn't see any mention of these; I guess this is "inside" information? Do you have an ETA for these?

[mehmeh82]

Owings Mills, MD 2005

Cherry Hill, NJ 2006

King of Prussia, PA 2007

Lancaster, PA 2008

While Wegmans' goal is to open two new stores each year, these are the only ones with dates attached to them. But it might take more or less time depending on zoning laws and if a community challenges the proposed store. Anyway, Woodbridge was supposed to open before Downingtown, but in the end it didnt turn out that way (due to zoning commissions, planning boards, internal decision-making, etc).

[NJFoodLover]

I remember reading an article about the Woodbridge Wegmans (which is right down the street from me YAHOO!). Wegmans had made a decision not to build any stores in NJ north of Woodbridge. I'm not positive but I think the belief was that the upscale grocery story market is saturated. I think the article was in the Star Ledger several months ago.

NJ Food Lover

[jhlurie]

I suppose that would be true if "three Whole Foods locations" (Edgewater, Montclair, Ridgewood--which I believe is fairly new) fills that requirement. King's and Food Emporium have some moderately good stores, but nothing spectacular. There ARE more local gourmet markets than most areas (Jerry's, Cafaso's Fairway, Korean and/or Chinese and/or Italian and/or Hispanic Produce Markets up the wazoo, etc.) and tons of warehouse-type stores (BJ's, International Food Warehouse, etc.) but since the demand is ALSO much higher, I think Wegman's analysis is off.

They might well learn this lesson in Wayne. Wayne is probably tied with Paramus, NJ as the busiest "shopping" town in the state. But a Wegman's there will probably do record business despite all of the competition. It may seem nuts to some Wegman's executive up in Rochester, NY, but people travel all the way from New York City to shop in places like Wayne or Paramus. Heck, some of the nuttier ones even travel to Princeton, apparently.

Looking at their location map, Wegman's also seems to have taken a "bye" on the whole state of Maryland. There really must be something to the theory of them staying away anywhere with Whole Foods locations, since Maryland has seven of those (then again, Northern Virginia has like... six of the seven locations of WF in that state, and yet Wegman's has a store right there in Dulles, and another opening soon in Fairfax).

[Flounder]

I grew up in Woodbridge and can't beleive they get a Wegmans after I move away. (Luckily I moved close to the Manalapan one!) It's a great idea and there is no way the tandoori oven is not connected to the HUGE Indian community less than 5 min away in Iselin.

I've talked to people from Manhattan who couldn't tell me what was on the other side of the Lincoln or Holland tunnels, but they knew you could get a sarri in Iselin.

Separately, I'm happy to see the area going through some good changes in the past 6 mos or so. There is now a Wegmans, a Panera, a Cheescake Factory, a Benihanna and a 2 level Barnes & Noble within 5 min of each other. This may not seem that earth shattering, but for a while the only thing to get excited about was the re-development of Menlo Park mall.

[Kim WB]

Actually, there's an IKEA in Elisabeth NJ, about 1/2 hour from the new Paramus location.

What I'm saying is that there's a Wegman's in Princeton, then they open one in Woodbridge, which is not too far from Princeton, but both are more than an hour away from me, taking them out of my regular shopping range. I'm saying that my area would be a prime target for a Wegman's, and that they should consider opening one up here, that's all.

I would say that these are at least 20 miles away, and once you get into the New Brunswick area, there is more traffic...at tleast a 40 minute drive apart.

[mehmeh82]

Hi! I've just downloaded some photos of our Wegmans stores-in-progress! (including the insides of the Woodbridge store).

Here is a link:

http://www.msb.edu/student/u04/meh23/

[hillbill]

Hi! I've just downloaded some photos of our Wegmans stores-in-progress! (including the insides of the Woodbridge store).

Here is a link:

http://www.msb.edu/student/u04/meh23/

In the Fairfax model, is that low-lying section in the front the parking garage?

Do you know how Wegmans finances these mega-buildings? Isn't it difficult for privately-held companies to get that kind of financing?

[corvus]

None of them are in Bergen co.  Cherry Hill is near Philadelphia and the next town over from me (Haddonfield). I hope you're not teasing about that.

I read that the Wegman's in Cherry Hill will be built as part of the new "downtown" being constructed on the site of the former Garden State Park racetrack. I don't suppose these stores sell horsemeat though...

Here's an article that mentions this from the Courier Post: http://www.courierpostonline.com/sju/68.html

-corvus the Cherry Hillbilly

[slowday]

Looking at their location map, Wegman's also seems to have taken a "bye" on the whole state of Maryland. There really must be something to the theory of them staying away anywhere with Whole Foods locations, since Maryland has seven of those (then again, Northern Virginia has like... six of the seven locations of WF in that state, and yet Wegman's has a store right there in Dulles, and another opening soon in Fairfax).

Wegman's is actually in the beginning stages of building a store in an area north of Baltimore called Hunt Valley, which is in the shadow of the corporate headquarters of McCormick spices.

The store is supposedly going to be about 130,000 square feet, located in mall area that is undergoing extensive renovation. The extensive renovation includes tearing down the entire center third of the mall while keeping the wall mart on one end and the sears on the other. Apparently once the demolition is complete the new store construction will start. The opening is still probably years away.

Wegman's originally wanted to build on a parcel of land a mile south of Hunt Valley but was denied zoning because of a neighborhood group which claimed that the new store would cause serious traffic congestion. The funny thing is that its closest neighbors would have been a Sam's Club and a Lowes Home Improvement Center. The rumor is that some of the supermarkets in the area funded the neighborhood group, since there really isn't much in the way of neighborhoods near where the Wegman's wanted to build.

This area could really use a Wegman's type store. There is a local Giant supermarket near the Hunt Valley mall which was considered so trendy in what they offered that it was nicknamed the Gucci Giant, even though its basically just your standard big city supermarket. Wegman's will seem like an alien spaceship supermarket landed in our midst fattening us up with great foods. I wonder if they have a cookbook called To Serve Man?

[laurenmilan]

I just got the circular announcing the opening. I'm about 20 minutes from the store, and am really excited about it. Until now, I did the bulk of my grocery shopping at the smaller ethnic stores, because the few chain groceries in the area are not only overcrowded, but some of them (Stop & Shop?) are disgusting. I discovered Wegmans in Princeton, and love that they're not only opening here, but catering to the Asian population here.

In addition, it's great to hear that one's opening in Hunt Valley. I go to 2-3 sci-fi/fantasy conventions there a year, and one thing we always are in need of is bargain eats (since the mall closed down, we lost a main source of food within walking distance of the hotel). Having ready-to-go meals, regular groceries/snacks (at good prices, if Princeton's any indication) will be nothing short of a godsend to us hungry geeks!

Edited November 5, 2003 by laurenmilan (log)

[lamb]

I am so psyched!!

Wegmans in Woodbridge opens this Sunday. While I think I will stay away from the opening day crowds, (did opening day in Manalapan-it was crazy ) I will head there one night next week. Woodbridge is closer to me than Manalapan, and I plan on visiting the store quite frequently. Even my hubby said he would join my visits. Doesn't take much to make me happy.

[cbel964]

Down here in 'southern' jersey, there is a plan to build a Wegman's in Ocean Twp - saves me driving to Manalapan, which i don't do as often as I would like...

I await the opening with great anticipation.

[Casey]

Just came back from the new Woodbridge Wegmans. Quick summary--outstanding store, from what I could see. Big mistake going on opening day. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but why do people feel the need to bring their ENTIRE family (up to six people in many cases!) to the grocery store?! It was MOBBED. They had a shuttle bus running in the parking lot for goodness sake!

I'm going to post a better summary when I return during the week, hopefully to less crowds! I was very impressed with the marketplace area (butcher, seafood, patisserie, cheese shoppe, etc.) and as a pesco-vegetarian, I loved the natural/organic foods section! Picked up some very nice things for dinner tonight too!

Casey

[laurenmilan]

Just came back from the new Woodbridge Wegmans.  Quick summary--outstanding store, from what I could see.  Big mistake going on opening day.  I don't mean to sound insensitive, but why do people feel the need to bring their ENTIRE family (up to six people in many cases!) to the grocery store?!  It was MOBBED.  They had a shuttle bus running in the parking lot for goodness sake!

Ditto to that!

I had the day off, so I said what the hey, and I went down there. And yes there were WAY TOO MANY FLIPPIN PEOPLE there. But yes, the "bring the whole family" stuff and the fact that every senior citizen in the tri-state area was there, standing in the middle of the aisles slack-jawed, kind of grated on my nerves (on the upside, the roads were probably much safer due to the temporary senior and soccermom-free status.)

I did manage to chat with the chocolatier there (hey, they did get Pierre herme!) and the bakery counter personnel. They seemed so thrilled to see someone buying as opposed to gawking, that they chewed my ear off. I came home with some loaves of bread, and two of those Praline Purse cakes.

It was a rough, jostling experience, and fortunately it looks like with the exception of the day before thanskgiving, it'll never be that berserk again. So many folks, especially those seniors, were balking at the prices (Frankly, the prices for normal foods were on the high end of average, and premium foods were competitive with the few other upscale options in the area.) For the quality I saw, it sure is worth the price - but no I don't need that quality on a daily basis.

I wish them the best of luck, I was being constantly guided around by employees, so I did let them know how gorgeous the place is and how impressive its selection is. It sure looked like they needed a few kind words today... but best of luck to the Wegmans employees posting here, it really is a store to be proud of.

Edited November 9, 2003 by laurenmilan (log)

[rlibkind]

Casey & Lauren,

Why are you complaining about people treating the new Wegman's on opening day as an excursion? Seems to me, that's precisely what both of you were doing!

That said, Wegman's is worth an excursion.

[Casey]

Actually, silly me, I was trying to SHOP (spent $200 on a very full cart in fact)! But I couldn't physically get to may things due to those "window shopping." I shopped at Wegman's for years when I lived in Ithaca, so for me this was about my ability to finally shop where I love to do so. Never again will I bother to grace the aisles of ShopRite, Stop & Shop or A&P, which are my other choices in the area.

I blame myself as much as the window shoppers--I should have known it would be a madhouse today, and waited until tomorrow night after work.

Casey

[laurenmilan]

Casey & Lauren,

Why are you complaining about people treating the new Wegman's on opening day as an excursion? Seems to me, that's precisely what both of you were doing!

That said, Wegman's is worth an excursion.

Um, hmm, we're different cuz we're um...

Okay, we're not that different, we're probably nuts too!

Except of course, for the fact that, we both came into there knowing what to expect & how much it would cost. So I just made my way around the aisles as best I could without bumping into people. In the crowds I was stuck in, there was a lot of "man, look at that price!" and "what the %*$@ is that?" going on: good old fashioned "sticker-shock." And because of this, there were a lot of people standing and staring, mid-aisle and agape, much in the way that Rockerfeller Center tourists look at Dean & Deluca's truffles and coffees.

There were, as I mentioned earlier, a lot of people coming in that apparently had no idea that Wegmans stores were fairly upscale in focus. Not that I don't find a lot of normal groceries in there too, but the upscale is certainly displayed very prominently, so I can understand their shocked expressions. It is a kinda shocking place for those of us used to the local Shoprite.

And yep, it's definitely worth a (short) excursion for me. But nope, I won't buy all my groceries there, but I will make regular trips there (not that my local shoprite isn't also pretty crowded most times.)

Edited November 9, 2003 by laurenmilan (log)

[laurenmilan]

Actually, silly me, I was trying to SHOP (spent $200 on a very full cart in fact)!  But I couldn't physically get to may things due to those "window shopping."  I shopped at Wegman's for years when I lived in Ithaca, so for me this was about my ability to finally shop where I love to do so.  Never again will I bother to grace the aisles of ShopRite, Stop & Shop or A&P, which are my other choices in the area.

I blame myself as much as the window shoppers--I should have known it would be a madhouse today, and waited until tomorrow night after work.

Casey

I was just in a wacky mood, and had to go check it out myself today. And yes, it was an unwise decision, I admit it.

Edited November 9, 2003 by laurenmilan (log)