Meijer is renovating its meat departments in its stores, creating more of an old-world butcher shop feel. The new departments will include full-service meat counters with certified meat cutters and high-quality meats. The stores will be selling Certified Angus Beef exclusively, reports The Detroit News.

Meijer, which pioneered the superstore concept 50 years ago, hopes its revamped meat department will help it stand out from its competitors.

Many superstores sell packaged meat, though Meijer has maintained small meat counters in its stores. "The trend with national competitors has been to offer less service, more prepackaged, grab-and-go," said Meijer spokesman Frank Guglielmi.

"Meijer is always looking for ways to improve our customers' shopping experience, and by making our meat department more like a traditional butcher shop we are ensuring the best service for our customers," said Jerry Suter, Meijer's vice president of fresh merchandise.

In June, Meijer concluded a meat cutter certification program and now staffs three or four certified meat cutters per store. "Our team members in the Meijer meat department will now be able to provide even higher levels of customer service," Suter said.

Source: The Detroit News