Information AboutShoprite (united States) |
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ShopRite (or its full name '''ShopRite Supermarkets''') is a Co-op chain of Supermarket s in the Northeastern United States , in the states of New Jersey , New York , Connecticut , Delaware , and Pennsylvania . Based in Elizabeth, New Jersey , ShopRite consists of 43 individually-owned and operated affiliates with over 190 stores, all under its corporate and distribution arm, Wakefern Food Corporation . In recent years ShopRite has renovated, expanded or totally rebuilt many of its older stores, as well as new ones. Most stores are larger than before with improved facilities. Some of the older ShopRite stores date back to the 1950s and 1960s . Examples of a newly built giant ShopRite can be found in Wharton , New Jersey , opened in 2001 , and a rebuilt one in nearby Succasunna . Some ShopRite slogans have been "ShopRite does it Right", "ShopRite and Always Save!", and their current "Always Fresh and Always for Less." ShopRite also uses the slogan "This is Your Neighborhood...This is Your ShopRite" when promoting and supporting community events. ShopRite is also known for its yearly Can-Can Sale, and in 2002 introduced the Summer Can Can Sale. In the early 1990's ShopRite introduced the Price Plus Club Card, which replaced the Courtesy Card. The customer registers free of charge to become a member of the club. The customer gives the cashier the card everytime the check out and it adds up to various promotions such as Baby Bucks or One Pass Miles. The Price Plus card may also save the customer money on items they purchase, depending if they are on sale or not. HISTORY The chain got its start in 1946 , when a Del Monte sales representative talked to several independent Grocer s in Newark , New Jersey who were having problems getting the best prices for wholesale goods. He suggested they try Cooperative buying, and they did. Seven of them eventually went in, and all agreed the experiment was a success. With a $1,000 initial investment from each, Wakefern Foods was incorporated on December 5 of that year. The ShopRite name was coined in 1951 as a competitive advantage. It not only worked to draw in shoppers; it attracted new members to the cooperative, which grew to 50 members by within a year. In 1958 ShopRite decided to cut prices across the board 10% as an alternative to giving away Trading Stamp s as many other supermarkets in New Jersey were doing. The move was again successful and drew in more customers and members. By 1961 Wakefern had 70 members, was doing $100 million in annual sales and not only had become a major player in New Jersey, it was attracting members from neighboring states. Things slowed down a little later on that decade when one large member, Supermarkets General, pulled out, halving the chain's size. Its stores became Pathmark in 1968 . However, the remaining members redoubled their efforts, adopted "one member, one vote" as a management principle, and expanded aggressively. By the late 1970s they had made up the difference. Today, it is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. An interesting result of the cooperative system is that 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 as well as the whim of the owner. For example, the ShopRite of West Caldwell has an interesting Japanese motif inside and outside of the store (including rickshaws and a sign that says "Sayonara" at the exit). Even some stores owned by the same person look different. For example, the Ronetco family of stores (Netcong, Byram, Newton, Franklin, Flanders, Mansfield, and Succasunna) all look different from one another on the outside (including the shopping carts and Cart Corrals), although inside they have the same general layout. On the other hand, as large corporations buy up stores, recent years have brought a homogenization in building design and store layout. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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