Dive Brief:
- Wakefern Food Corp. announced Thursday it is buying New York City supermarket chain Morton Williams, which runs 17 stores in the metropolitan area. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
- Kevin McDonnell, president of Wakefern’s wholly owned subsidiary PRRC, Inc., will serve as the Wakefern executive leading Morton Williams, according to an emailed announcement. Wakefern said it will retain the Morton Williams name.
- The acquisition is part of Wakefern’s strategy to expand its market share and wholesale distribution, Wakefern Chairman Sean McMenamin noted.
Dive Insight:
Wakefern’s planned pickup of Morton Williams is the latest in a string of acquisitions that have expanded the reach of the grocery cooperative and its members in New York City.
Within the past several years, Wakefern member Village Super Markets acquired specialty retailer Gourmet Garage, which operates three stores in Manhattan, and bought several Fairway Market stores in the city. Last year, Wakefern acquired specialty food brand Di Bruno Bros., which produces an assortment of gourmet products that have nationwide distribution.
Morton Williams considerably boosts Wakefern’s footprint in the Big Apple. The grocery chain operates 15 stores in Manhattan, one location in the Bronx and one in Jersey City, New Jersey.
“Wakefern’s leadership team and Board of Directors has a vision for our cooperative that is transformative,” McMenamin said in a statement. “We are positioning Wakefern for sustainable, lasting growth that will impact future generations of our Membership.”
Morton Williams was founded in 1952 by brothers Joe and Irving Sloan. Joe Sloan’s sons, Morton and William, expanded the business into New York City, and in the 1970s began opening “reimagined” supermarkets under the Morton Williams name, according to Thursday’s press release. The grocery chain is currently led by Avi Kaner, Morton Sloan’s son-in-law; David Sloan, his son; and Steven Sloan, the son of William Sloan.
“We know our company, its team members, and loyal customers are in good hands as it moves into the future under Wakefern’s leadership,” Kaner said in a statement.
McDonnell, who will lead Morton Williams, has 40 years of grocery experience. Early in his career, he worked for Waldbaums Supermarkets before moving to A&P, according to his LinkedIn profile. He spent a decade working in top roles at Fairway Market before moving to Wakefern, which appointed him president of Price Rite Marketplace in 2022.
Wakefern’s membership includes more than 360 stores in nine states across several brands such as ShopRite, Price Rite, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage and Fairway Market
