In addition, site work has begun on a store in Malvern that is expected to open in the first half of next year, Forkell said.
Wegmans generally hires about 600 workers for each store, compared with 150 to 200 employees at a typical Giant supermarket measuring 50,000 to 100,000 square feet.
The 72-store chain, based in Rochester, N.Y., has been aggressively growing in the Mid-Atlantic region, typically opening two to three new locations each year, said Jo Natale, a company spokeswoman. In addition to its stores in Downingtown, Warrington, Mount Laurel and Cherry Hill, Wegmans operates in upstate Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Virginia, and recently announced sites in the Boston suburbs.
The company's ramp-up in this area comes amid the doom and gloom of announced closings by businesses from retailers to car dealerships.
Encouraged by its local stores' success in bucking the trend, Wegmans decided to capitalize on Philadelphians' appreciation for good food, Forkell said. "We think it's an area where people have a high food interest," he said. "Secondly, the population and demographics fit our model."
The Collegeville store, on Commerce Drive near Routes 422 and 29, will feature both the chain's Market Cafe restaurant and the pub, unique among Wegmans' local outlets, "as long as our restaurant liquor license is approved," Forkell said. "It is the first design of its type in the Philadelphia region." The chain prides itself on high customer service and low prices, he said, with the perishable side modeled after European markets, prepared foods in what's called the Chef's Case, and baked goods in a patisserie.
