The current logo (2003–present) |
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| Type | Retailers' cooperative Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Grocery |
| Founded | 1946 (as Wakefern) 1951 (as ShopRite) |
| Headquarters | Keasbey, New Jersey, United States |
| Number of locations | 230+ |
| Area served | Northeastern United States |
| Services | Bakery Dairy Deli Frozen foods Grocery Meat Pharmacy Produce Seafood Snacks Liquor Kosher |
| Parent | Wakefern Food Corporation |
| Website | ShopRite.com |
ShopRite Supermarkets is a retailers' cooperative (co-op) chain of supermarkets in the northeastern United States, with stores in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Based in Keasbey, New Jersey, ShopRite consists of 47 individually owned-and-operated affiliates with more than 230 stores, all under its corporate and distribution arm, Wakefern Food Corporation. Wakefern itself owns and operates 27 of the locations through subsidiary ShopRite Supermarkets, and is the largest affiliate in the cooperative.
As of 2011, ShopRite is the largest retailer of food in Greater Philadelphia, pushing ACME Markets to number 2 after many decades of dominance in the market.[1] As of 2010[update], Wakefern was ranked 16th by sales among all supermarket operators in the United States.[2]
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ShopRite originated in 1946, when a Del Monte Foods sales representative talked to independent grocers in Newark, New Jersey. The grocers were having problems getting reasonable prices for wholesale goods. The Del Monte representative suggested the grocers try cooperative buying. Seven of the grocers agreed; paying $1,000 each to launch Wakefern Foods, which was incorporated on December 5, 1946. The seven who began Wakefern unanimously agreed the new venture was a success. Members of Wakefern advertised under their own names. However in 1951, they decided they could be more competitive, and spread the word about their great prices by advertising under the name ShopRite.
In 1958, ShopRite cut prices by 10% as an alternative to giving away trading stamps, which other supermarkets in New Jersey were doing. The move was successful, drawing customers and helping create more Shoprite stores. By 1961, Wakefern had 70 members, totaling $100 million in annual sales; it not only had become a major player in New Jersey, it was attracting members from neighboring areas.
One large member, Supermarkets General, pulled out in the late 1960s, halving the number of Wakefern stores. The Supermarkets General stores became Pathmark in 1968. The remaining members redoubled their efforts, adopted "one member, one vote" as a management principle, and expanded aggressively. By the late 1970s, the volume lost from Supermarkets General's departure was restored.
In 1971, ShopRite introduced their Can-Can Sale, where canned goods (as well as other products) were placed on steep discounts, and is usually held in January. Animated commercials for this promotion feature a chorus line of cancan girls and a French artiste. In 2002, ShopRite expanded that sale to twice a year when they introduced the Summer Can-Can Sale, usually held in July.[3]
In recent years ShopRite has renovated, expanded, or rebuilt many of its older stores, and added new ones. Most stores are larger than before with improved facilities. Some older ShopRite stores date to the 1950s and 1960s. Examples of a newly built giant ShopRites are in Wharton, New Jersey, opened in 2001, as well as Parsippany, New Jersey. Also a rebuilt one in nearby Succasunna. ShopRite's slogan "This is Your Neighborhood...This is Your ShopRite" is used when promoting and supporting community events, which is used on their current manufactured trucks.
In the early 1990s, ShopRite introduced the Price Plus Club Card, which replaced the Courtesy Card; it is free of charge to acquire. Having a Price Plus Card enables shoppers to receive special weekly discounts, listed in circulars mailed with local newspapers. Most sales are company-wide, valid for all area ShopRites, however some stores choose to put special items on sale based on stock. The Price Plus Card program tracks purchases for special promotions, such as OnePass Miles, a program with Continental Airlines, and Baby Bucks, a program which gives customers $10.00 off a future $50 purchase for every $100.00 spent on baby items. The Price Plus Card also tracks purchases, which aids in ShopRite's "No Hassle Return" policy.
Since 1999, ShopRite has offered the same merchandise on its website, under the service name ShopRite from Home, through MyWebGrocer.com, at some stores by home delivery or at-store pick-up.
Today, it is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S. As a result of the cooperative system, there has been no set format for building architecture, store layout, or color scheme of the storefronts. Most stores are the product of the era in which they were opened, and the owner's style. For example, the ShopRite of West Caldwell, New Jersey has a Japanese motif inside and outside of the store (including rickshaws and an exit sign reading "Sayonara".) The Ronetco family of stores (Netcong, Byram, Newton, Franklin, Flanders, Mansfield, and Succasunna, New Jersey) have different looks on the outside (including the shopping carts and Cart Corrals), although the stores themselves have a similar layout. Shop Rite stores that were previously other stores usually contain elements of the previous occupant. As large corporations buy up stores, recent years have brought a homogenization in building design and store layout.
Currently, ShopRite's base stretches from the Baltimore metropolitan area in the Mid-Atlantic to the Hartford area in New England. While New Jersey is home to the most ShopRite stores, the chain also has a strong presence in New York (in the New York City suburbs) and Pennsylvania (mostly in the Philadelphia area). In 2010, ShopRite expanded its presence in Connecticut through the purchase of eleven former Shaw's locations.[4]
Wakefern (ShopRite's corporate arm) operates the PriceRite limited-assortment chain of stores in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and California. PriceRite is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern. There are currently 49 PriceRite stores.
The PriceRite name was used in the early 1990s on Wakefern's failed warehouse club concept stores.
For many years, Foodarama operated very small ShopRite Garden Center on Route 130 in East Windsor, New Jersey. In 2004, with the construction of a massive Home Depot directly adjacent to the small store, a decision was made to close the store and Foodarama moved its garden center operations into a 55,000. sq. ft.former Frank's Nursery & Crafts store. The store had operated as a Franks location for only 4 years before the company was liquidated, and the large building combined 23,000 sq ft (2,100 m2). of interior selling space with 32,000 sq ft (3,000 m2). of covered outside selling area, for a total of 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2).[5] The ShopRite Garden Center closed in 2008.
Wakefern members also operate a cooperative chain of stores which offer wine, beer and spirits called ShopRite Wines & Spirits. Most stores are located adjacent-to, or inside-of ShopRite Supermarkets; however, there are several freestanding stores. One store (in Pennington, New Jersey) even offers a bar right inside the ShopRite store.
Members operate 36 ShopRite Wine and Spirits Shops in New Jersey and New York.
Sunrise ShopRites of West Caldwell also operates three (Parsippany, New Jersey, West Caldwell, New Jersey and Westfield, New Jersey) ShopRite Sunrise Wine-Cellar locations which offer an expanded selection of high-quality and specialty wines. These stores are generally smaller than their normal ShopRite counterparts, and specialize in wines and related alcoholic beverages.
In December 2006, Wakefern partnered with vistaflor.com to launch Shopriteflowers.com. Vistaflor is a Colombian flower grower and provides direct home delivery of floral arrangements under ShopRiteFlowers.com brand and does the same for Costco.