TOUR: Weis Markets - Enola, PA

Weis Markets
Opened: 2017

Previous Tenants: none

Location: 4525 Valley Rd, Enola, PA

Photographed: August 15, 2022

We arrive in Enola, Pennsylvania -- just across the river from Uptown Harrisburg -- to check out the flagship Weis Markets! The roughly 67,000 square foot store opened in 2017 directly across the street from a GIANT Food Store that opened in 2014. While the GIANT is much larger -- almost 80,000 square feet, in fact -- Weis seems to be doing just fine. One Google review even notes that the GIANT is fine but too gray -- and that customer claims they're going to start shopping at Weis instead for that reason.

Well, as we'll see, nothing about this store is too boring. It's brightly colored, full-service, and uniquely designed. We begin with a look at the outside of the pub, a special feature in the front right corner of the store that also has an ice cream shop featuring Weis's famous ice cream. The grand aisle is on the right side of the store, with beer/wine in the front right corner with the pub, and deli/prepared foods on the right side wall. Bakery is at the back, and meat/seafood continue along the back wall.

Stepping inside, we see the beautiful grand aisle has a special high ceiling that looks amazing. Between the ceiling, the colorful decor, and the cool lighting, this is one of the most impressive grand aisles I've seen lately.

Produce is in the middle, with the deli and other service departments under the brick arches on the right side. I also love the windows at the top of the grand aisle, both to let in light and to add to the theatrical outdoor experience.

Here's a look at the beer and wine department, with the pub/cafe seating straight ahead.

On the perimeter of this section is refrigerators for beer.

And behind that is the prepared foods departments, with more extensive features than we see in most Weis stores.

I typically enjoy Weis stores, but this one was exceptional. (Then again, I recently went to the Randolph, NJ Weis... and it was terrible. It felt more like a dying A&P than a typical Weis. Shriveled apples, service departments closed or cut back, grocery items very close to their expiration. At least the prices are still very good.)

But that's not the experience I have at most of the Weis stores I visit. Almost all of them, and especially the stores around this part of PA, are very well-run.

Prepared foods and deli/cheese on the right side of the store.

I like the way Weis organizes its cheese department.

And deli is in the back right corner of the grand aisle, with bakery at the back of the produce department...

I love the decor here, since it's kind of simultaneously understated and overstated. Very upscale looking, too.

A look across the back wall to meat and seafood.

With a typical Weis layout, the first aisle is natural and organic items. There's a lot more exciting merchandising and decor in the grocery aisles than in typical stores, though.

And the service departments are still very attractive, even the ones not in the grand aisle.

There's a huge selection in the grocery aisles, too.

And specific category merchandising, like this fixture over the seasonal merchandise.

Obligatory aisle 12 shot.

Again, notice the category-specific decor such as this pet products setup...

And the decor really doesn't peter out after the grand aisle, as we see in some stores. If anything, it gets better after the grand aisle.

I love this dairy department.

I also appreciate the choice to use a lower (but still fairly high) ceiling in the main supermarket so that the whole store doesn't feel too warehousey.

The pharmacy and HABA department is in the front left corner of the store. Great blue color choice.

And for a look across the front-end...

I loved this new Weis! I believe there's a few other stores out there with the same prototype, but sadly, most of the Weis stores out there are not quite this impressive. By the way, Weis is based out of Sunbury, PA, just about 40 miles north along the Susquehanna River. We'll be headed up that way eventually, but for now, there's another store in Enola we're going to check out tomorrow on Grocery Archaeology!