Popular grocery retailer Wegmans unveiled its first Connecticut location in Norwalk to a big crowd Wednesday morning. The store opened with their staff hosting a cheer, as people walked in.
For Jay Habansky, the city’s chief of economic and community development, Wegmans is more of a divine revelation, by way of its selection of fresh and prepared foods.
“I've come to learn that the Wegmans markets have such a religious following that there are people who will fly in from out of state to attend a grand opening for one of these Wegmans markets,” Habansky said.
Wegmans was founded in Rochester, New York, in 1916, by brothers Walter and John Wegman.
The grocery store franchise has built a dedicated fan base over the decades as it expanded across the East Coast, extending as far south as North Carolina.
Norwalk officials, business advocates and business experts say the store has been able to carve out a niche with its strong emphasis on customer service and engagement in a retail sector that also enjoys high levels of customer engagement, especially in the social media age where customers are open about their support for retailers.
Norwalk resident Jessica Cossuto was wowed by the display.
“It’s very big, it looks like, and everything looks really organized, so I’m excited,” she said.
Other customers soon posted videos on TikTok of their shopping adventures.
Mousumi Godbole, a marketing professor at Fairfield University, said TikTok and other social media is a big influence on businesses. Others have said it has changed how grocers engage with customers.
“It's like a constant interface, whether you are using influencers, whether you are using real customers as influencers, it is real experiences of customers who are using a product, getting that 'aha' moment, sharing it among themselves and retailers,” Godbole said.
Wegmans has cultivated strong brand loyalty in large part due to its selection, but other factors are at play, according to David Cadden, professor emeritus at Quinnipiac University's Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship. He pointed to Wegmans allowing their employees a lot of autonomy with customer interactions and their willingness to take customer feedback seriously.
“You want to delight customers,” Cadden said. “And if you do that, they will return. If they return they’re loyal customers, it costs less to keep them or acquire additional customers, and that's when you make your money. So I think Wegmans has done that successfully.”
Wegmans, according to Godbole, stands out in a retail space with other retailers that also enjoy strong brand loyalty. Aldi, Trader Joe’s and others, including warehouse clubs like Costco, all have strong followings because of their focus on either cost or selection. Customers can and do go to several grocers based on their strengths, she said.
Wegmans, she said, fills a niche based on their prices, selection and staff.
“You're talking about whatever cheese you want being available from wherever, and you consult with their employees, and you get it,” Godbole said.
Many, from state to local officials, are thrilled about Wegmans' arrival in Connecticut. Norwalk’s Mayor Harry Rilling said the city has been a particularly attractive place for businesses to set up shop in. A Target is also soon expected to open across the street at a former Walmart location.
Rilling said the city’s location stood out.
“Norwalk is a growing, flourishing city, and people are taking notice of it, and we're located in a very good part of Connecticut, right on Long Island Sound, and within a little bit of distance of Darien, and Stamford and Greenwich,” Rilling said.
