The Fresh Grocer Joining Wakefern

The Fresh Grocer will join the Wakefern Food Corp. retail cooperative, effective Oct. 1. The Philadelphia-based food retailer, which will continue to be owned and operated by Patrick J. Burns, consists of eight stores: six in the Philly area, one in Wilmington, Del., and one in New Brunswick, N.J.

Upon joining Wakefern, one Philadelphia-area location will convert to the ShopRite banner, the registered trademark of Wakefern, while the remaining stores will retain The Fresh Grocer brand. Wakefern will also own The Fresh Grocer  trademark.

“Joining the Wakefern team will be strategically beneficial to our customers, associates and company as a whole,” said Burns.

“Adding the strength of The Fresh Grocer brand and its unique offering will help us to continue our growth in the Philadelphia marketplace,” noted Joe Sheridan, president and COO of Keasbey, N.J.-based Wakefern, whose members individually own and operate approximately 250 supermarkets under the ShopRite name. “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,” added Wakefern chairman and CEO Joseph S. Colalillo. “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.”