The Fresh Grocer
{{short description|American supermarket chain}}
{{Infobox company
| name = The Fresh Grocer
| logo = The Fresh Grocer logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| type = Subsidiary
| industry = Grocery
| foundation = {{start date and age|1996|p=y}} in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| founder = Patrick J. Burns
| location_city = Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
| location_country = U.S.
| num_locations = 24
| num_locations_year = 2024
| area_served = New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
| key_people = Patrick J. Burns (president and CEO)
| operating_income =
| num_employees = 1,500
| parent = Wakefern Food Corporation
| website = {{URL|thefreshgrocer.com/}}
}}
The Fresh Grocer is a supermarket chain based in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania that operates twenty-four stores in the greater Philadelphia and the greater Scranton areas of Pennsylvania, as well as one store in the greater Pittsburgh area, and northern New Jersey and Long Island, New York.{{Cite web| title = About Us| work = shop.thefreshgrocer.com| access-date = 2018-01-29| url = https://shop.thefreshgrocer.com/global-data/global-banner-pages/about-us}} Founded in 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as an independent company, the company became a member of the Wakefern Food Corporation, a retailers' cooperative, in 2013.{{cite news | last=Springer | first=Jon | title=Fresh Grocer Joins Wakefern Co-op | url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-amp-financial/fresh-grocer-joins-wakefern-co-op | publisher=Supermarket News | date=July 31, 2013}}
History
The Fresh Grocer opened in 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Fresh Grocer has locations on Chestnut Street and Broad Street in North Philadelphia.{{cite book|author=Laura Ingraham|title=The Obama Diaries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FREOMhfr83sC&pg=PA167|date=13 July 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-9844-5|pages=167–}}{{cite book|author=Erin Vans|title=Duplicity and Duress: Snap Factories in the Making|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTjqDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT287|date=1 February 2017|publisher=BookBaby|isbn=978-1-4835-9211-4|pages=287–}} On August 1, 2013, The Fresh Grocer became a member of Wakefern. One of the stores was converted to the ShopRite name while the others retained the Fresh Grocer name.{{cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130801_Fresh_Grocer_to_join_Shop_Rite_s_supplier__Wakefern_Food_Corp_.html|title=Fresh Grocer to join Shop Rite's supplier, Wakefern Food Corp.|date=31 July 2013 }} The Fresh Grocer location in Wilmington, Delaware closed on December 9, 2019.
Expansion
The chain opened four new Fresh Grocer stores in March 2016, all in former Pathmark stores that were purchased at auction. The stores are in Wyncote, Upper Darby, Brookhaven, and Monument Avenue in Philadelphia.{{cite web|url=http://best-met.com/news/wakefern-reports-record-sales-16-units-real-estate-plan/|title=Wakefern Reports Record Sales; 16 New Units In Real Estate Plan|publisher=Food Trade News|date=2 August 2013|access-date=25 January 2016}}
Since 2001, the University of Pennsylvania made efforts to remove The Fresh Grocer from its Walnut Street location. In 2017, The Fresh Grocer was asked to vacate the property after failing to renew its lease. The grocery store sued University of Pennsylvania maintaining its intention to stay at the location.{{Cite web| title = Penn, Fresh Grocer are taking each other to court over U. City supermarket site| author = Adelman, Jacob| work = Philly.com| date = 11 April 2017| access-date = 2018-01-29| url = http://www.philly.com/philly/business/real_estate/commercial/Penn-and-Fresh-Grocer-are-taking-each-other-to-court-over-U-City-supermarket-site-.html}}
In 2018, Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf spoke at The Fresh Grocer regarding boost pay in Pennsylvania allowing "hundreds of thousands of additional salaried employees eligible for overtime pay".{{Cite web| title = Wolf Taking Steps to Expand Who Gets OT Pay in Pennsylvania| author = Levy, Marc| work = U.S. News & World Report| date = 2018-01-17| access-date = 2018-01-29| url = https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/pennsylvania/articles/2018-01-17/apnewsbreak-wolf-to-seek-ot-expansion-amid-federal-inaction}}{{Cite web| title = Wolf proposes controversial overhaul of Pennsylvania's overtime rules| last = Lindstrom | first = Natasha| work = TribLIVE.com| date = 2018-01-17| access-date = 2018-01-29| url = http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/13191944-74/wolf-proposes-controversial-overhaul-of-pennsylvanias-overtime-rules}}
In 2019, Nicholas Markets, which previously operated as part of the Foodtown chain, joined the Wakefern cooperative, switching their stores to the Fresh Grocer banner, bringing the total stores under the banner to 13.{{cite web|url= https://www.grocerydive.com/news/nicholas-markets-joins-wakefern-rebrands-as-the-fresh-grocer/566434/|title= Nicholas Markets joins Wakefern, rebrands as The Fresh Grocer|last=Stine|first=Lauren|website=Grocery Dive|date=November 1, 2019|access-date=May 23, 2020}} In 2022, Gerrity's Supermarkets announced that they would be transitioning their 10 stores from the ShurSave banner to The Fresh Grocer banner, bringing the total stores under the banner to 23. Gerrity's Supermarkets completed this transition in late 2022. {{Cite web |date=2022-08-16 |title=Gerrity's conversion to The Fresh Grocer gets under way |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/gerrity-s-conversion-fresh-grocer-gets-under-way |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Supermarket News |language=en}}
In 2024, The Fresh Grocer announced its entrance into New York through the opening of a new location in Oakdale at the Lighthouse Commons shopping center on Montauk Highway, formerly home to a Best Market. The store, owned and operated by the Thompson family, spans 26,000 square feet. {{Cite web |last=White |first=Mike |date=2024-03-18 |title=The Fresh Grocer announces summer 2024 opening in Oakdale |url=https://greaterlongisland.com/the-fresh-grocer-announces-summer-2024-opening-in-oakdale/ |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=Greater Long Island |language=en-US}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Supermarkets of the United States}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fresh Grocer}}
Category:Wakefern Food Corporation
Category:American companies established in 1996
Category:Retail companies established in 1996
Category:Companies based in Middlesex County, New Jersey
Category:Food and drink companies based in Philadelphia
Category:Retailers' cooperatives in the United States