Shoppers Food & Pharmacy

Infobox_Company
company_name = Shoppers Food & Pharmacy
company_
company_type = Grocery
foundation = 1949
location = Lanham, Maryland
industry = Retail
products = Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor
parent = Supervalu, Inc.
homepage = http://www.shoppersfood.com/

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy (also known as Shoppers Food Warehouse) is a chain of 65 supermarkets in Baltimore, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. areas. Shoppers has fresh produce, Swift Angus beef, Smithfield natural pork, all-natural chicken, Dietz & Watson delis, fresh seafood, steamed shrimp, as well as hot foods, full service pharmacies and in store full service banks.

History

Shoppers Food & Pharmacy had its roots in a store opened in 1929 by founder Irving Herman at Vermont and V St, NW, Washington, D.C. The earliest Jumbo Food Store was in operation as early as May 1952 at 3439 Benning Rd N.E., Washington, D.C., and was the former River Terrace Super Market. A location in Seat Pleasant, Maryland at 401 Eastern Ave opened shortly after. On October 1, 1958, the store at 2400 University Blvd, E., in the Adelphi Shopping Center opened in Adelphi, Maryland and, even after being gutted by a fire in 1994, remains as a Shoppers Food Warehouse.

By January 1960, there were four Jumbo Food Store locations: 1551 Alabama Ave, S.E. at Stanton Rd (Shopping Center); 3439 Benning Rd N.E. (River Terrace); 401 Eastern Ave., Seat Pleasant, Md.; and 2400 University Blvd. E. (Adelphi Shopping Center).

By March 1967, five additional locations were in operation: 1919 Michigan Ave, (at Eastern); 6016 Old Silver Hill Rd. at Marlboro Pike, District Heights, Maryland; 3041 Naylor Rd., S.E. near Sears and Suitland Pkwy.; 12145 Rockville Pike (Pike Shipping Center), Rockville, Maryland; and 6300 New Hampshire Ave., Takoma Park, Maryland. By 1969, the Alabama Ave store closed and eight stores remained. By 1978, the River Terrace, Michigan Ave., District Heights, and Naylor Rd., S.E. stores were closed.

On August 23, 1978, the last new Jumbo Food Store opened at Little River Turnpike and John Marr Drive (4223 John Marr Dr), Annandale, Virginia. In 1978, Jumbo also opened the first Shoppers Food Warehouse (SFW). The SFW at 3255 Little River Turnpike in the Brighton Mall, Alexandria, Virginia, opened in 1980. By 1983, there were three additional SFWs at 9195 Central Ave. (Hampton Mall), Capitol Heights, Maryland; Rt 108 & Georgia Ave (Village Mart Shopping Center), Olney, Maryland; and Little River Turnpike and Pickett Rd., Fairfax, Va. In 1985, when Jumbo / Shoppers became the third largest chain in the DC area, eight SFWs were in operation and four Jumbos (Rockville, Takoma Park, Adelphi, Md., and Annandale, Va). In 1986, there were 13 Jumbos / Shoppers locations with the Chantilly, Virginia and Clinton, Maryland SFW locations opening that August. By 1989, when the infamous Herbert Haft acquired half interest in the Jumbo Food Stores chain, 18 Shoppers Food Warehouse locations were in operation and the Jumbo Food Store name was gone.

Irving opened the first Shoppers Food Warehouse in 1978 as a foray into the warehouse supermarket business. With the success of the Shoppers format, all Jumbo stores were eventually converted to Shoppers. [http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/31/Shoppers-Food-Warehouse-Corporation.html Shoppers Food Warehouse Corporation - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Shoppers Food Warehouse Corporation ] ] In 1988, Herbert Haft's Dart Group purchased a 50 percent controlling interest in the company, with Kenneth Herman retaining the right to purchase one share and regain control, which he exercised in 1994 amid a falling out with Haft and a feud within the Haft family. Differences were eventually settled, and Dart acquired the remainder of the company from the Herman family in 1997. In April 1998, Richfood Holdings Inc., a regional wholesale distributor, purchased Dart Group in order to acquire Shoppers, later selling or spinning off Dart's other operations. Supervalu acquired Richfood Holdings in 1999.

In the community

Through the Shoppers Foundation, Shoppers supports organizations like The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation and now The American Red Cross of the National Capital Area. Shoppers donates to over 2500 schools, churches and not-for-profit organizations throughout their trade area.

In 2000, the Shoppers Classic Charity Golf Tournament was established to raise funds along with its vendor partners for local causes, including the Maryland Food Bank and Capitol Area Food Bank, new community playgrounds and the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation for underprivileged children.

References

External Links

[http://www.dcgrocery.com/ DC Grocery MSN Group]