- Red Owl
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This article is about the retail chain. For the bird, see Madagascar Red Owl.
Red Owl brand spice tins.
Red Owl was a grocery store chain in the United States, headquartered in Hopkins, Minnesota. Founded in 1922, it was initially owned and operated by Gamble-Skogmo,[1] opening its first store in Rochester, Minnesota, that year.[2] There were eventually stores throughout the upper Midwest, with one opening in Bismarck, North Dakota in 1927.[3] The chain briefly expanded into the Chicago area starting in late 1959, but in 1963 sold its Chicago area operations to National Tea Company. In 1980, Gamble-Skogmo was acquired by Wickes Corporation, which sold the chain to three executives of the chain in January 1986.[4] At that time, the company operated 441 stores in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and North and South Dakota. In December 1988, the rights to the Red Owl name were obtained by grocery wholesaler Supervalu Inc.[5]
Masons Red Owl is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin.[5]
Brownlow's Red Owl is located in Le Roy Minnesota. The store contains a Red Owl memorabilia collection that was utilized in the Cohen Brothers film, "A Serious Man,"[6]
Wagar's Red Owl is located in Henderson, Minnesota
The start of the Mary Tyler Moore television show has the lead character in a Red Owl meat department.
A Red Owl store, shown to be in Bloomington, MN, was featured in the 2009 Coen Brothers movie A Serious Man.
Contents
Masons Red Owl
Masons Red Owl Type Grocery/Convenience Store Industry Retail (Grocery) Headquarters Green Bay, WI Key people Mervin and Jared Mason Products Fresh and Canned Groceries, Produce, Bakery, Deli, Liquor Employees 6 Website masonsredowl.com Founded on February 1, 1969, Masons Red Owl was the first franchised Red Owl store in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Three years later, the owners, Mervin and Jared Mason, purchased a second Red Owl franchise in De Pere, Wisconsin. At that time, Masons Red Owl was incorporated from a partnership into the MEJ Corporation.
By 1985, however, the Green Bay area witnessed the introduction of several other grocery stores, including a Cub Foods and a Copps Food Center. At this point, the DePere location was sold and efforts were refocused on the original franchise. In 1988, SuperValu Corporation purchased Red Owl’s Green Bay warehouse, making it the supplier for Masons Red Owl.
In 1989 the store expanded to include a full-service deli department, and remains in 2009 as one of the smallest full-service grocery retailers.
Masons Red Owl faces competition in the Green Bay area from other grocers including Woodman's, Wal-Mart, ALDI, and Festival Foods.
See also
References
- ^ Restored Red Owl aims high Supermarket news, Nov. 17, 1986
- ^ [1]
- ^ Red Owl Grocery Store at BismarckPride.com
- ^ Executives buy Red Owl Stores, Milwaukee Sentinel, Jan, 28, 1986
- ^ a b "Red Owl Logo Returns to LeRoy Grocery", Laura Gossman, Rochester Post-Bulletin, January 7, 2009
- ^ http://www.brownlowsredowl.com/
External links
Categories:- Companies based in Minnesota
- Fictional owls
- Defunct companies based in Wisconsin
- Supermarkets of the United States
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