An Open Letter to the CEO and Management of Wegmans:

As you probably know, Disney announced that they would be building a community in Pittsboro, NC, which is adjacent to the greater Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.  You should also know that when I used to live across the street from Wegmans in Williamsville, NY, I was in that store upwards of 3 times a day, and typically 5 to 6 days per week—check the shoppers club logs—I think you will be shocked.  

With this announcement, there are many concerns; at the same time there is great opportunity.  What I mean by this is that the current grocery situation in this area near the border of Chapel Hill and Pittsboro is “sub-optimal” to put it nicely.  We have a few of your competitors in the area, if you can even call them that.  I’m not trying to disrespect Harris Teeter, Food Lion, or Lowe’s, but seriously, it’s not even a competition when your name enters the mix.  Even with the 60 minute (on a good day) round trip drive up 15/501 and back, I’m a loyal customer, but I can’t lie and say the commute hasn’t impacted the quantity of food I purchase from you.  Now with Disney planning on building what I presume to be some sort of monstrosity next door to Briar Chapel, the trek to my local Wegmans might become unbearable.  That’s where you come in and see that your light can shine in this darkness.  You can break ground and add your presence in this area and tap into a captive audience—the timing is just right.  It’s not like you will be cannibalizing sales given the distance from your next closest location, and the logistical supply line is not overly complicated when you consider that you just extend it down 15/501 from the Chapel Hill location.  Even if you consider the presence of Lowe’s, Food Lion, and Harris Teeter in the area, there’s no way they can easily meet the demand of this population surge, and their locations may not be as convenient as your location to serve both Briar Chapel and the Disney community.

So what do you say?  Find a place away from the naysayers, put on that feel good Wegmans soundtrack that has become the background music of my life, crack open a FYFGA plain sparkling water, and think about it—think about the possibilities, think about all the potential to grow an even larger base of satisfied customers—think about what John and Walter would do, and then do it.

Most Respectfully Yours,
André Toman

P.S.  If you need to talk, you already know my number.

#wegmans
#chapelhill
#briarchapel