Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. No non-grocery posts.
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Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by marketreportblog »

https://m.thetimes-tribune.com/news/bus ... 19ef4.html

Article is behind a paywall, but the headline is pretty clear: Wyoming Valley (PA) based Gerrity's Supermarkets has joined Wakefern. They own 9 supermarkets in the Wyoming Valley and the Valley Farm Market in Allentown. Doesn't look like they'll be changing their banner, but if they do, I assume their stores' smaller size (and the proximity of their Moosic store to the Moosic ShopRite) would necessitate a change to The Fresh Grocer, not ShopRite, if anything. I'd be surprised if they change their banners though, most likely they'll stay Gerrity's.

Wakefern already has Price Rite stores in the Wyoming Valley, along with the Moosic Bill's ShopRite and their other two locations out that way, but not really in the valley. Interestingly enough, Gerrity's is switching from ShurSave, as did Bill's quite a while ago. This marks the loss of NEPA ShurSave's largest member (by far), and leaves them with just 12 stores -- not exactly a healthy number for a cooperative. Family Owned Markets, which I believe was also related to ShurSave somehow, is now IGA. Do we think ShurSave will eventually dissolve into IGA too, or do they actually have a future?

Edit courtesy of Albertsons Florida Blog: here’s a link without a paywall, and it tells us the stores will become The Fresh Grocer.
https://archive.ph/EAQdI
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by mjhale »

Other than the smaller store size, is there any difference between a ShopRite store and The Fresh Grocer? Is it like how Ahold uses Martins in VA, MD and WV for Giant-PA stores because there was a preexisting Giant chain (originally unrelated), same store different name, or is The Fresh Grocer a completely different concept?
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by marketreportblog »

mjhale wrote: June 25th, 2022, 7:41 pm Other than the smaller store size, is there any difference between a ShopRite store and The Fresh Grocer? Is it like how Ahold uses Martins in VA, MD and WV for Giant-PA stores because there was a preexisting Giant chain (originally unrelated), same store different name, or is The Fresh Grocer a completely different concept?
In and around Philadelphia, it seems they use The Fresh Grocer name on smaller format, more urban stores and they are sometimes more upscale stores too (though I think that applies more to the Brown’s stores than to the Burns stores). The four Nicholas Markets Fresh Grocers in New Jersey are definitely smaller format and more upscale than ShopRite. I’ve also heard that in the Philadelphia area, The Fresh Grocer is generally used around colleges, too.
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by retailfanmitchell019 »

marketreportblog wrote: June 26th, 2022, 4:26 am In and around Philadelphia, it seems they use The Fresh Grocer name on smaller format, more urban stores and they are sometimes more upscale stores too (though I think that applies more to the Brown’s stores than to the Burns stores). The four Nicholas Markets Fresh Grocers in New Jersey are definitely smaller format and more upscale than ShopRite. I’ve also heard that in the Philadelphia area, The Fresh Grocer is generally used around colleges, too.
I don't think The Fresh Grocer format would work in the Wyoming Valley, which is more of a blue-collar area.
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by buckguy »

There are Wegman's and Whole Foods stores there. If Wilkes-Barre is anything like Allentown (where I've been in the last couple years), those places probably do a good business.
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by BillyGr »

marketreportblog wrote: June 26th, 2022, 4:26 am
mjhale wrote: June 25th, 2022, 7:41 pm Other than the smaller store size, is there any difference between a ShopRite store and The Fresh Grocer? Is it like how Ahold uses Martins in VA, MD and WV for Giant-PA stores because there was a preexisting Giant chain (originally unrelated), same store different name, or is The Fresh Grocer a completely different concept?
In and around Philadelphia, it seems they use The Fresh Grocer name on smaller format, more urban stores and they are sometimes more upscale stores too (though I think that applies more to the Brown’s stores than to the Burns stores). The four Nicholas Markets Fresh Grocers in New Jersey are definitely smaller format and more upscale than ShopRite. I’ve also heard that in the Philadelphia area, The Fresh Grocer is generally used around colleges, too.
It may be more for the size (the ones mentioned in NJ were under Foodtown previously and at least the one I know of is definitely a smaller/older store), or just as an alternative.

Not really sure that having another ShopRite store in the same area would cause any issues, as some of the NJ ones are pretty close and can have differing owners no matter what distance they are from others. That is, I don't know that there are any "guarantees" on distance in their contracts.
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by marketreportblog »

BillyGr wrote: June 26th, 2022, 12:12 pm
It may be more for the size (the ones mentioned in NJ were under Foodtown previously and at least the one I know of is definitely a smaller/older store), or just as an alternative.

Not really sure that having another ShopRite store in the same area would cause any issues, as some of the NJ ones are pretty close and can have differing owners no matter what distance they are from others. That is, I don't know that there are any "guarantees" on distance in their contracts.
True about the size. I do think Gerrity's fits The Fresh Grocer format in their emphasis on perishables (they have strong produce, meat, seafood, deli, bakery in most of their stores). They may not be the highest-end stores, but they're certainly not low-end. Gerrity's does do pretty strong price promotions and the everyday prices are generally solid too.

The only issue with ShopRite branding I could foresee is Moosic, where the Gerrity's is all of about 2500 feet from Bill's ShopRite in Moosic (or, basically, diagonally across the street).

And I do think there's something about distances from other operators' stores, but I don't know for sure. I remember hearing something about that with the owners of Kearny when Newark opened, which is under different owners. And the remaining NJ stores that are quite close tend to be the same owners (Village and Inserra seem to do that a lot, and Saker sometimes, especially with the Perlmart purchase).
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by storewanderer »

It appears this chain was using Best Yet private label so though it sounds like they were a member of some other group, the product ultimately came from C&S.

I don't know about back east, but out west, the stores supplied by C&S have had significant difficulties recovering from the COVID demand of two years ago. It feels like they are last in the line for products and to this day these independents and small regionals continue to struggle with excessive out of stocks due to the supplier C&S not able to get them product. I used to think C&S was a pretty good supplier for a store that just needed a supplier and had its own programs for marketing, etc., but my opinion has changed somewhat in the past couple years and I am very disappointed in C&S. I also think C&S is favoring keeping larger accounts like Target happy at the expense of the independent with a few stores.

Now I've been to stores run by various other wholesalers (we can include Supervalu/UNFI in CA to that list) and they are able to get their stores fully stocked.
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by TW-Upstate NY »

marketreportblog wrote: June 26th, 2022, 6:22 pm The only issue with ShopRite branding I could foresee is Moosic, where the Gerrity's is all of about 2500 feet from Bill's ShopRite in Moosic (or, basically, diagonally across the street).
About this store, I wouldn't be at all surprised they end up closing it. Gerrity's was born out of the former locally-owned Giant Markets chain and the Moosic store was actually one Giant closed probably back in the 70's and converted to a warehouse concept. I was honestly very surprised Gerrity's resurrected it and looking at Google street view pictures recently I noticed they're using the same roadside sign post that was there in the 70's. And I ought to know-I lived in the area back then and remember going to this store a time or two. The Moosic ShopRite is relatively new and is located in the former K-Mart in Birney Plaza which began life as an Arlans in the very early 70's. In other words, it's a large store. Gerrity's Keyser Oak Plaza unit is a rather large one having been relocated to the former Woolworth's on the far end of the complex from the other end of it where it originally was housed in a former Food Fair which Giant had occupied in the early '70's. Matter of fact, that shopping center was built by Food Fair Properties sometime in the '60's.
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Re: Gerrity's joins Wakefern

Post by mjhale »

TW-Upstate NY wrote: June 27th, 2022, 9:02 am About this store, I wouldn't be at all surprised they end up closing it. Gerrity's was born out of the former locally-owned Giant Markets chain and the Moosic store was actually one Giant closed probably back in the 70's and converted to a warehouse concept. I was honestly very surprised Gerrity's resurrected it and looking at Google street view pictures recently I noticed they're using the same roadside sign post that was there in the 70's. And I ought to know-I lived in the area back then and remember going to this store a time or two. The Moosic ShopRite is relatively new and is located in the former K-Mart in Birney Plaza which began life as an Arlans in the very early 70's. In other words, it's a large store. Gerrity's Keyser Oak Plaza unit is a rather large one having been relocated to the former Woolworth's on the far end of the complex from the other end of it where it originally was housed in a former Food Fair which Giant had occupied in the early '70's. Matter of fact, that shopping center was built by Food Fair Properties sometime in the '60's.
I've been curious about the Giant Markets chain that was in NE PA. It had no relation to the Ahold owned Giant chain but that is really all I know. Did this Giant succumb to larger regional competitors? Or did it just close quietly and morph into Gerrity's?

And on the topic of Gerrity's, were they a recipient of any of the Acme stores after Acme left NE PA in the 90's? I recall seeing another name - Insalaco's - tied to those old Acme stores in pictures I've seen around on different photo sites.
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