Keasbey, NJ – Wakefern Food Corp. announced that The Fresh Grocer® will join the cooperative effective October 1, 2013.
Based in Philadelphia, The Fresh Grocer, which will continue to be owned and operated by Patrick J. Burns, consists of eight stores – six in the Philadelphia-area, as well as one in Wilmington, DE and one in New Brunswick, NJ. Upon joining Wakefern, one Philadelphia-area location will transition to the ShopRite banner while the remaining seven locations will remain The Fresh Grocer stores. Wakefern will now own the The Fresh Grocer trademark.
“Adding the strength of The Fresh Grocer brand and its unique offering will help us to continue our growth in the Philadelphia marketplace,” said Joe Sheridan, Wakefern president & COO. “With several stores strategically located near college campuses, The Fresh Grocer will give us new insight into the next generation of consumers and will expand our reach to a new customer, while providing them with a wide offering of ShopRite branded products.”
“As the 50th member of the Wakefern cooperative, Pat Burns and his team embody the spirit of entrepreneurship that Wakefern was built upon,” said Joseph S. Colalillo, chairman and CEO of Wakefern Food Corp. “Like our ShopRite and PriceRite stores, The Fresh Grocer shares our passion for customer service; focus on freshness and commitment to giving back to the community. We are delighted to welcome them to the Wakefern family.”
“Joining the Wakefern team will be strategically beneficial to our customers, associates and company as a whole,” said Patrick J. Burns, president & CEO of The Fresh Grocer. “We are excited for this new opportunity and are looking forward to many years of continued growth and success as a member of the Wakefern family.”
About Wakefern Food Corp.
From a small, struggling cooperative with eight members – all owners of their own grocery stores – Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative is comprised of 48 members who today individually own and operate nearly 250 supermarkets under the ShopRite banner in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. In 1996, Wakefern introduced PriceRite stores, extending the company’s reach into Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Today, there are 51 PriceRite stores in six states. As the merchandising and distribution arm of both ShopRite and PriceRite, Wakefern, together with its member companies, employ more than 50,000 people; making it one of the largest employers in New Jersey. In addition, Wakefern also distributes products to other supermarkets throughout the northeastern United States and Bermuda. Wakefern was recently named one of the Best Places to Work in NJ by NJBIZ Magazine. In 2011, Supermarket News gave Wakefern its Retail Excellence Award and The Griffin Report named Wakefern its Retailer of the Year. For more information, please visit http://www.Wakefern.com.
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative, based in Keasbey, NJ and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With nearly 250 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than five million customers each week. A long-time supporter of key community efforts, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite has donated $29 million to 1,700 worthy charities and food banks since the program began in 1999. As a title sponsor of the LPGA’s ShopRite Classic, ShopRite has raised more than $24 million for local schools, hospitals and community groups. Progressive Grocer named ShopRite its 2011 Retailer of the Year and Supermarket News awarded ShopRite its 2011 Retail Excellence Award. For more information, please visit http://www.ShopRite.com.
About The Fresh Grocer
The Fresh Grocer is an accomplished independent supermarket chain specializing in providing high quality perishables in urban and suburban environments with eight stores operating in the (PA, DE, NJ) Tri-State area. The Fresh Grocer is committed to understanding the needs, tastes and traditions of the communities in which their stores are located, and makes it a priority to offer an assortment of products and services to meet those various needs. The Fresh Grocer is also committed to improving food access and to promoting the health and wellness of its customers, associates, and communities.
Source: Wakefern Food Corp.