Supermarket giant Wegmans opens first store in Connecticut

NORWALK, CT (WFSB) - Supermarket giant Wegmans opened its first store in Connecticut.

The grand opening took place Wednesday at 9 a.m.

As of 2:30 p.m., Wegmans reported having over 3,000 customers.

“Everyone that knows me texted me and said ‘did you know that you’re getting a Wegmans in your town?’” said Cathryn McGowan of Norwalk. “I was like ‘what?’ I was freaking out. Honestly, one of the best days of my life was when I found out.”

The family-owned chain has more than 110 locations along the east coast.

Cathryn McGowan said she grew up shopping at them in New York. She went to the new Norwalk location with her mother on Wednesday.

“I kind of took Wegmans for granted living in Syracuse for so long, and once I moved away, I realized what I was missing,” she said.

“First she told me we’d be camping out, and I was like ‘Really? Oh gosh,’” said Joanne McGowan. “And she said ‘no, we’ll just go really early.’”

Opening one in Connecticut has been a work in progress since 2022.

“It’s exciting. I will say, we’ve been hiring since last August. So, to be two days away is just exciting,” said Emily Gee, Wegman’s store manager.

There are around 500 excited employees ready to work at the new location in Norwalk.

“It’s not only for eating by itself. It’s for if you’re entertaining, a charcuterie board, or a combination of snacks,” said employees. “This is miche sourdough. It was grown in France over 100 years ago.”

Great food and customer service are two of Wegmans trademarks. It is what makes other’s in the food industry want to partner with this superstore.

“I’m a retail nerd. I really believe in this environment. I think it cultivates a team culture, and I think you’ll find that with Wegmans. I think whichever department you go into as a consumer, there’s someone to help you,” said Tim Steeb, Foodmatch Director of Specialty Sales.

Regular store hours were set to be 6 a.m. to midnight 7 days a week.