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Wakefern spokesperson said. “It’s a great example of how we can combine Wakefern’s scale and merchandising and distribution capabilities with the entrepre- neurial expertise of one of our member families.” Wakefern’s 2025 acquisition of the 17-store Morton Williams chain, mean- while, has given the company its first corporately owned stores in New York City. Casey said he believes the Morton Williams stores could double their sales volume under Wakefern’s ownership. “I’ve been in all their stores, and there is potential for each and every one of those stores to do a whole lot more sales volume, just because of the pricing that Wakefern can deliver and the private-label assort- ment,” said Casey. The acquisition of Morton Williams comes as individual Wakefern members have also been growing their presence in New York City, including Springfield, N.J.-based Village Super Markets, which in 2020 acquired the Fairway and Gourmet Garage banners, and Mahwah, N.J.-based Inserra Supera Supermarkets, which opened its first New York City location ear- lier this year with an outlet of The Fresh Grocer banner in Brooklyn. The push into New York City comes as the company faces a largely saturated market in New Jersey, said Casey. “There’s not a whole lot of 10-acre sites left to build in Wakefern’s entire market- ing area,” said Casey. “Of course they are looking at recycled properties, but all the Kmarts have already been spoken for.” In addition to the paucity of available real estate, Wakefern also has so much density in the areas where it operates that any new-store openings are bound to impact existing locations, he said. Unlike the cookie-cutter store devel- opment strategies of the past, when Wakefern had just one prototype store measuring about 55,000 square feet, the company’s operators now open stores in a range of sizes based on their own prefer- ences. Stores can range from about 30,000 square feet up to about 120,000 square feet. “Because our members live and work in the communities they serve, they
Special Olympics support exemplifies Wakefern’s community partnerships
Wakefern’s strong relationships with the communities where it operates is the lifeblood of its success, and perhaps nowhere is its community support more evident than in its sponsorship of New Jersey Special Olympics. “It’s not just the leaders saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to support Special Olympics this year,’” said Heather Andersen, pres - ident and CEO, Special Olympics New Jersey, in an interview with Supermarket News . “They have been supporting Spe- cial Olympics for nearly 40 years, and it has become ingrained in their culture and in the Special Olympics New Jersey culture.” Each year Wakefern provides meals for more than 18,000 participants and their supporters at the Special Olympics New Jersey Summer Games. More than 300 volunteers from the ranks of Wakefern and its members turn out to cook and serve at the event. “We hear stories about former employees who still come back and vol- unteer, and of their children who are now coming as adults because they started coming as kids when their mom and dad were working at Wakefern,” said Ander - sen. “The partnership we have with them is not a ‘top-down’ partnership. It swells up from the volunteers and the employees.”
Wakefern employees also serve in leadership roles on SONJ event com- mittees, such as the Perlman Cup, a women’s golf tournament held by SONJ each spring. And during this year’s ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern, ShopRite and Coca-Cola partnered to host the annual SONJ Golf Clinic, where ShopRite also announced a $150,000 donation to expand opportunities for athletes with SONJ. Wakefern also supports other SONJ events, including the Law Enforcement Torch run, which delivers the “Flame of Hope” to the Summer Games, and it helps provide registered dietitians to host nutrition seminars for SONJ athletes and family members. SONJ is just one of the beneficiaries of Wakefern’s community focus. Through its ShopRite Partners in Caring initiative, the company donates $3.5 million annu- ally to more than 2,500 hunger-fighting organizations. Other community efforts include Price Rite’s “Feeding Minds & Bodies initiative in partnership with Feed the Children; support for America’s Grow-A-Row, which delivers fresh pro- duce to needy families, and sponsorship of the ShopRite LPGA Powered by Wake- fern, New Jersey’s premier women’s golf event, which generates more than $1.5 million each for charitable groups.
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