From thedailymeal.com
20: Stew Leonard’s
With six stores in Connecticut and New York, Stew Leonard’s is a small supermarket chain but a mighty fun one. Founded in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1969, Stew Leonard’s has been dubbed the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores” by The New York Times — the chain is known as a fun place for families to shop because of the costumed characters, scheduled entertainment, petting zoo, and animatronics throughout the stores. Another aspect we love? The customer service. Stew Leonard’s culture is built around a loose acronym for S.T.E.W.: Satisfy the customer; work together as a Team; strive for Excellence in everything you do; and get the customer to say WOW. The chain treats employees right as well as customers, having made Fortune magazine’s list of the best companies to work for 10 consecutive years. Unlike most grocery stores, which stock an average of 45,000 items, each Stew Leonard’s store carries only 3,200 items, chosen specifically for their freshness, quality and value. Some 80 percent of the products sold in store are fresh — that is, brought in daily or prepared directly in-store. Customers who spend $100 or more in a single transaction can redeem their receipt for a free small ice cream cone or free small coffee.
19: New Seasons Market
With 21 stores in California, Oregon, and Washington, New Seasons Market is a progressive West Coast neighborhood grocer known for quality local products and fun weekend tastings from the best producers in Oregon, Washington, and California. Founded in Portland in 2000, New Seasons Market stands out for its knowledgeable, friendly staff who are passionate about helping customers discover new makers and flavors. The company also commits 10 percent of its after-tax profits back to the communities it serves. From managing the grocer’s local nonprofit Hunger Partners, Bag it Forward reusable bag donation program, Lend A Hand paid volunteer hours, and Cans for Kids neighborhood donations, New Seasons Market helps ensure each store is attracting prospective staff from the local community and giving back to the supermarkets’ neighbors.
18: Fairway Market
Dubbed “New York’s favorite grocery store,” Fairway Marketclaims it is “Like No Other Market.” Established in 1933 in the New York City area and now with 15 stores in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, Fairway Market has become famous for stocking an extensive selection of fresh, natural and organic products, prepared foods and hard-to-find specialty and gourmet offerings, along with a full assortment of conventional groceries. Favorites include fresh-baked breads, hand-sliced smoked salmon, the full-service butcher shop, and the store’s made-to-order chopped salads.
17: The Fresh Market
The Fresh Market is a specialty grocer known for its carefully curated selection of delicious and innovative foods, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and warm and welcoming environment. Founded in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1982 by Ray and Beverly Berry, who sought to bring back the old-world charm of local markets, The Fresh Market’s merchants seek out items that make everyday eating extraordinary — from small-batch, artisanal pastas to unique baking ingredients. The selection of USDA Prime beef is noteworthy, as are the chain’s privateproducts, many of which are exclusive to The Fresh Market; each item comes with a 100 percent satisfaction and delight guarantee. Coffee loverscan peruse the large coffee selection, including a coffee station with free 4-ounce samples. If you’re not sure about an item, the knowledgeable staff is happy to help and will let customers try a product before they buy it. Every child gets a free banana or clementine from the produce department. The Fresh Market is committed to reducing food insecurity and increasing the amount of healthy food available to those in need and has partnered with Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S., by donating more than $49 million in food. The Fresh Market has 161 European market-style stores in 22 states in the Northeast, Midwest and South.
16: Hannaford
What started with Arthur Hannaford selling fresh produce from a one-horse cart in Portland, Maine, in 1883 has transformed into 181 Hannaford stores in five states (Massachusetts, Maine,New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont). Hannaford partners with more than 800 local companies and farmers to stock 6,000-plus products in its stores. In 2006, Hannaford launched the Guiding Stars program, a science-based store navigation system that rates the nutritional quality of every food in the store and makes it easy for shoppers to find foods with more nutrition. Ever innovating, Hannaford was the first grocery store in the U.S. to receive LEED Platinum certification for a newly opened, environmentally friendly store in 2009, and it became the first major supermarket in the U.S. to document that all seafood products sold in every department were sustainably harvested in 2012. Since its partnership began with United Way in 1929, Hannaford has continued to give back to its communities. Hannaford has donated more than 23 million pounds of food to local food pantries and regional food banks; has helped raise more than $1.5 million in financial contributions; and has raised more than $600,000 annually for local schools.
15 WinCo Foods
WinCo Foods began in 1967 as a discount grocer called Waremart in Boise,Idaho. Proudly Boise-based to this day, the company became WinCo Foods in the late 1990s after an employee vote. The name stands for both Winning Company and as an acronym for the five original states: Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California and Oregon. Today, there are over 120 stores in 10 states in the Western and Southern U.S. Each employee has a stake in the company doing well, from the cart clerks up to the CEO, which makes a significant difference. The company strives “to provide the best quality and variety to hungry families that need to stretch their dollars” by doing things a bit non-traditionally: They don’t take credit cards (debit cards are accepted) and there are no grocery baggers, because these costs would have to be passed on to the customers. WinCo has its own warehouse, distribution and transportation system, which allows the company to deal directly with suppliers and vendors and eliminate costs in the middle. This helps keep prices as low as possible. The supermarket is famous for its bulk foods section; customers can get anything they want in any amount, from a single bay leaf to 100 pounds of flour. Don’t even get us started on the candy selection, and the produce is also exemplary, in part because the current CEO — a 34-year veteran of the company who started pushing carts when he was a teen — spent many years as a produce manager in the stores. Don’t forget to toss some signature salt and vinegar wings in your cart.
14: Hy-Vee
Charles Hyde and David Vredenburg opened a small store in Beaconsfield, Iowa, in 1930 and in 1938 incorporated 15 Iowa and Missouri stores as Hyde & Vredenburg, Inc., forming the foundation for Hy-Vee (the name, a contraction of the co-founders’ names, was determined via a contest in 1952). Since the chain’s founding, stores have operated autonomously, choosing their own inventories, prices, and advertising. Hy-Vee’s slogan, “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle,” is evident in each of the employee-owned stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
13: Safeway
Albertsons Companies operates nearly 2,300 stores in 35 states and the District of Columbia under 20 banners, including Acme, Shaw’s, Tom Thumb, Vons, and Albertsons (which ranks No. 11 on this year’s list). Nearly 900 of the company’s stores are Safeway stores, which operate in 16 states and Washington, D.C.Founded in 1913 in American Falls, Idaho, Safeway focuses on providing customers fresh products no matter how they shop, whether in stores or online for Drive Up & Go, home delivery, or meal kits from Plated. Each store has in-house butchers who can offer specialized cuts of beef, and Safeway’s cake decorators are specially trained to offer phenomenal cake designs. Extra perks include home delivery via Safeway’s own in-house drivers as well as Instacart in nearly 2,000 locations along with the Just for U loyalty program, which offers customer and gas rewards.
12: Meijer
Founded in 1934 in Greenville, Michigan, Meijerhas 241 stories in five states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Meijer created the “supercenter” concept and is known for its fresh produce, broad selection, and pharmacies that offer select free prescriptions. Freshness, friendly service, and stores open 24 hours a day round out the offerings.
11: Albertsons
Albertsons Companies operates just over 400 Albertsons stores, which operate in 14 states (Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington). Founded in 1939 in Boise, Idaho, Albertsons offers fresh products in stores or online with convenient options like Drive Up & Go, home delivery, and meal kitsfrom Plated. The chain has its own private labels, including Own Brands, with 11,000 products including more than 1,000 new items introduced in the last three quarters, Open Nature, a line of natural products free from antibiotics and MSG, and O Organics. Albertsons recently introduced a new brand, Signature Reserve, to highlight 31 super-premium seasonal and everyday products. In 2017 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, Albertsons Companies gave nearly $300 million in food and financial support to charities addressing disabilities, hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, and veterans outreach.
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