Much like Sandy, the iconic penny pony that’s a fixture at each Meijer store, the Purple Cow is also beloved by customers, thanks to Fred Meijer.
Originally a poem written by Gelett Burgess, the Purple Cow became an ice cream shop within Meijer stores in the 1960s.
Over the years, many kids – ages 8 to 80 – received Purple Cow cards from Fred Meijer that were good for a free hand-dipped ice cream cone.
While the ice cream shops are no longer a fixture within Meijer stores across the Midwest, the retailer moved into dairy production through its Purple Cow Creamery. Meijer carries more than 40 flavors of its Purple Cow ice cream.
More information about the history of Purple Cow ice cream can be seen here in a video with Executive Chairman Hank Meijer.
An infographic highlighting Purple Cow ice cream facts can be viewed and downloaded here.