• jordanlund@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    So who’s buying 166 grocery stores?

    A: C&S Wholesale Grocers

    https://www.cswg.com/services/private-label-brands/

    Best Yet
    That’s Smart!
    Piggly Wiggly - Never been in one, but I’ve at least heard of it.
    IGA - This one I know, rare to see in the wild here.
    TopCare
    Simply Done
    Full Circle
    Culinary Tours
    Crav’n Flavor
    Paws Premium
    Pure Harmony
    Tippy Toes

    • reddig33@lemmy.worldOP
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      8 months ago

      Albertsons has been closing stores in my area and what’s replaced them isn’t other grocery stores. So much for “increasing competition”. So far it’s been condos, and a hobby lobby.

    • InquisitiveApathy@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      C&S is just a fulfillment warehouse and not buying anything. They handle the logistics and provide stock behind the scenes. What you’re seeing in what you linked is just them handling the “Store brands” for that particular chain.

      Whomever the owners of the new chains are will have a choice of which warehouse they choice to do business with as there are a few larger players, but that depends on the region.

      I worked IT for grocery for years and have had to deal with C&S as a middleman numerous times.

        • KnightontheSun@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I’d bet they’re just parking the stores temporarily only to buy them back later after the deal happens. But then I’m a cynic.

        • InquisitiveApathy@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          one of the primary arguments against the original sales package was that C&S does not have meaningful operational experience

          Your guess is as good as mine, but the section I quoted may indicate they might be trying to break more into front-end operations.

          They have extraordinarily robust market channels set up already and have their hands in the vast majority of the grocery industry for grocers that aren’t large enough to have their own vertically integrated warehousing like Walmart, Kroger, etc.

          I wouldn’t be surprised if they negotiate regional buyouts to their existing clients or just sell off the assets. I hope they don’t become a brick and mortar store because honestly that would just be another industry monopoly coming into the forefront.