Wegmans is hiring for its new Collegeville store -- and yes, they plan to sell beer.
"Wegmans is beginning the process of hiring full-time employees for its new Collegeville store (in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County) set to open in October," the Rochester, NY-based chain says. "Available positions include everything from cashiers and customer service to culinary professionals. The store will employ approximately 600 people, 550 of whom will be hired locally."
Wegmans wants would-be fulltime workers to apply online at www.wegmans.com/careers, go to Job Listings, and to Collegeville. Why is Wegmans building now, with the economy so slow? "We've been working on the location," at US 422 and PA 29 near the Wyeth labs, "since before the downturn. And everyone has to eat," Blaine Forkell, the manager who'll open the store, told me. He opened earlier Wegmans in Downingtown (2003) and Warrington (2006) since the company decided on its current low-price, limited-brands big-store model.
Wegmans employs around 37,000 at 72 stores. Most are in sleepy upstate Pennsylvania and New York towns like Erie, Bethlehem, Syracuse, and Buffalo, but increasingly it's been adding large stores in East Coast suburbs like Cherry Hill, Downingtown, and Manassas, Va.
It's avoided big cities like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., however. "Our stores are large -- 100,000 square feet plus," said spokeswoman Jo Natale. "Finding sites in large cities that are able to accomodate a store our size with parking is almost impossible."
Natale said pay and benefits at the nonunion chain are "comparable to, or exceed, that of our competitors," which in the Philadelphia area are led by the unionized Acme and ShopRite chains. One difference: while union supermarket workers can qualify for traditional guaranteed pensions, Wegmans has only a 401(k) worker-directed retirement plan.
Posted by Joseph N. DiStefano @ 9:56 AM
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52 comments
Best run supermarket group in the country. Glad that they are expanding here.
Oh baby...I hope they offer delivery!
Juggernaut.
Where will they find enthusiastic and friendly people around here?
Excellence expands. The Warrington store puts all the stores in the area to shame. Basics are very addordable, it is clean, people are friendly and helpful.
c'mon, there are big lots of land in Philly...unless they are against multilevel garages.
This is great news in a struggling economy. Go Wegmans!
Selling beer at supermarkets? C'mon. That makes way too much sense.
Wegmans is excellent. I just wish they could find a spot a little closer to my house.
Wegmans is the best! Their store-brand stuff is sometimes better than the big label stuff, and cheaper
Glad that they are expanding here; sad that they'll be putting a few local beer distributors out of business. I imagined that they would have hired 550 even without the beer license.
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Wegmans would be nice if not for the shoppers there. It's somehow worse than Trader Joe's. Nothing but a bunch of smug clowns who live 3 feet up their own butts and talk with their eyes closed. The last time I was there two years ago, I saw a group of snobs who would not let a stock boy in to restock the shelves. It's organic food with a parking lot the size of North Dakota, doesn't make sense to me.
Wegman's is THE BEST. They should open a training center for the art of fine customer service! The most pleasant associates on earth.
Bensalen, PA could REALLY use a Wegman's
I don't get the fuss over Wegmans. By far, and I mean by FAR, they have the most ridiculously high prices of any supermarket chain in the region.
There are enough beer enthusiasts in Pennsylvania to keep distributers and grocery stores in business.
AreaMan works for Giant....
AreaMan is a South Park fan.
Very bad attitude AreaMan
I agree with Lipsplitter, It is nice to see Pennsylvania is starting to join the rest of the civilized world. Beer consumers everywhere are rejoicing.
dutch.. i agree AreaMan is a south park fan. pryis.
There must be a casino involved.
Hmmm. A business doing well and hiring additional staff? This certainly flies in the face of Conservative/Republican predictions of doom and gloom under the Obama economic plan. Makes me wonder what else they're wrong about.
Wegman is too big and they force there brands too much. To get milk and juice is like a day trip!
Don't try to find Log Cabin - THEY DON'T SELL IT!
Miss the old Genuardi's and Clemens!
AreaMan, something tells me intelligence is not your strong suit. Good luck with your future endeavors and enjoy trying to locate the nearest Little Ceasers.
Wow, welcome to the rest of the world, Pennsylvania!
Boy you are right on area man! One bad experience 2 years ago is proof enough for me. DOLT
I moved here two years ago from Rochester, NY - I love it here all
except for the fact that there's no close enough Wegmans!! You people
don't know what a good grocery store is until you've shopped at a Wegmans...wait and see!! I hope they build a few more - closer to the
city!!
lol, "smug clowns who live 3 feet up their own butts" that made my day.
"AreaMan, something tells me intelligence is not your strong suit. Good luck with your future endeavors and enjoy trying to locate the nearest Little Ceasers." adamsarcia, thanks for proving my point, dawg. I owe you one. Little Ceasers is actually opening a new branch in Philly somewhere, I look forward to it. Pick me up in your Toyota Pious and I will let you have the other pie. And yes, I am a South Park fan. And I must be very stupid not to fall into the cult of Wegmans, or maybe I don't make enough money. Wegmans is like Wal-Mart for white people who make 100k a year. Wegmans could sell "Wegman's Brand Turd in a Can" and their cultish shoppers would buy it. And then they would serve it at parties, and surprise their guests by revealing that it is Wegman's Brand Turd in a Can. But that is great Wegmans is selling beer- finally a place to get overpriced Heiniken and Blue Moon in the suburbs! Sweet.
CommonSense, did you you double up on your stupid pills this morning?
How about putting one less than half an hour of the city, please. Even the Cherry Hill location takes that long to get to. Its a joke that they are unwilling to venture anywhere near population centers, preferring instead to put stores on the outer edges of the suburbs. If there was one on Delaware Ave, or even Chester, I'd probably do all my shopping there, aside from fresh stuff from the Market or Terminal.
AreaMan - you're post is what doesn't make sense to me. A couple of people in your way years ago, and you boycott the best store around. Makes a lot of sense to me. "It's organic food with a parking lot the size of North Dakota, doesn't make sense to me." What the hell does that mean?
They need to have a seperate entrance to sell beer. You won't have a six pack in your cart along with your frosted flakes. Now if they could just get rid of the awful tiles in the meat department that would work. I actually do no shop there because it is so annoying.
Wait a second, you mean there are people that don't make $100k a year. How do they afford to eat at all?!?!?
Oh, Man, Do we need any more problem with drunk drivers who will go out and main,kill people? Who's going to watch to see how much they will drink and get behind the wheels?
"It's organic food with a parking lot the size of North Dakota, doesn't make sense to me." What the hell does that mean?" I will break it down for you. They have organic food, which is better for people and the Earth supposedly. But then all of the Wegman's locations are in the middle of sprawl, so you have to drive there, and the parking lot is massive because everybody has a gas guzzling SUV, so the parking spots are bigger. Have you ever seen the parking lot of the Wegman's in Warrington? If you could walk or ride a bicycle to Wegman's you would be helping the earth and yourself more than the organic gluten free mac and cheese will. And I do not boycott the best store around, I eat at Koja at least once a week.
AreaMan. Funny stuff. One of my favorite episodes too.
How is this news? This is a job advertisement.
It's news because it relates to our local economy and job creation. Or has the economy not been news worthy lately? Maybe I'm confused. Also, people have to drive there in giant gas guzzling SUV's so they have a way to transport the massive amounts of awsome Wegman's food they purchase. Providing ample parking is just good business.
Beer!
AreaMan - AMEN!!!!
Just because its harder to find the parking oceans in cities doesn't make it impossible. It just not a great idea. Look at the idiotic layout of the Pier 70 shopping center, where each store has its own parking lot, and rarely are any of them even half full. I've been to the Wegmans in Cherry Hill many times, and I never see that parking lot anywhere close to full. I bet a Store could be built at 8th and market, with a parking garage underneath, and it would do swift business. Speaking of downtown supermarkets, whatever happend to that hotel/best buy/wholefoods thing that was supposed to go at 17th and Vine?
NE philly has a lot of open space 4 a supermarket
"If there was one on Delaware Ave, or even Chester" Umm... that might attract too many urban shoppers. The suburban shoppers at Wegman's like to avoid the urban shoppers. That is why they live in the suburbs. And I agree about the pier 70 thing, making Delaware ave look like Jersey was a ridiculous idea.
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The beer store only sells up to a 12 pack. Plus you have to buy the alcohol separately, basically meaning a walk to the car and back. But it's better than nothing. Hopefully they can find a way to expand to wine.
The Wegman's here in State College is open 24/7 and there are always people in shopping...regardless of the time...They have put a hurt on the Weis Market chain and I even suspect hurting the behemoth WalMart SuperCenter a few blocks away....Also 24/7. Prices are pretty good but the selections...especially ethnic and international put everyone to shame...even their "generic house brand" items are as good as, if not actually better than the majors. The food cafe is great and will be really enhanced with the addition of beer/wine sales....People can't wait!!! Enjoy it when it opens...Unfortunately I am about 30 miles NW from the store so I try to stock up about every 3 weeks...Their meats are a bit expensive for some items but the quality is unmatchable...I get all mine there now. LUCKY SHOPPERS!!!
Oh baby...they already have a bangin' chinese buffet and now they're gonna sell beer?
Believe me! All the regional and local supermarket chains hold Wegman's in great esteem.They are the benchmark for service,quality and friendliness.Now that they have really lowered their prices they are more a threat.Wegman's has the whole packsge,but their concept will not work everywhere.They have closed stores in urban areas right inthere backyard.Need one in Delaware County,Downingtown too far,but makes for a good trip.
Please send a Wegman's to Orlando FL and give WALMART and Publix a run for their money...
Orlando
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