Grocery

Westborn Market Corporate Office

Brothers George and Andrew Anusbigian began their business by selling fruit on the sidewalks of busy intersections. After a short time, business was so good that these brothers opened their own grocery store on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan.

Today, the company has 4 locations in the greater metropolitan Detroit area; Dearborn, Livonia, Plymouth, and Berkley. While the company’s main focus is on fruit, they have expanded to include a large selection of wine and other beverages, a full-service deli, and many specialty grocery items as well. All four Westborn locations also feature an extensive floral market.

The newest location in Plymouth features a full-service bistro, with seating for 20 on the inside and 70 outside on the patio.

George’s three sons now operate the markets. Headquarters are located in Oakland, Michigan.

Westborn Market

History

The newest location in Plymouth features a full-service bistro, with seating for 20 on the inside and 70 outside on the patio.

George’s three sons now operate the markets. Headquarters are located in Oakland, Michigan.

Iceland Foods Corporate Office

Iceland Foods got its start back in 1970 when Peter Hinchcliffe and Malcolm Walker opened their first store on Leg Street in Shropshire. They invested one month’s rent and hoped to make a go of it. It was Walker’s wife who suggested the name Iceland since the company originally planned to sell only frozen foods.

By 1977, the business was doing so well they opened another location in Manchester and by the end of 1978, the company had 28 locations to their name.

Iceland’s main products remain frozen foods, but they also offer non-frozen grocery items such as produce, meat, dairy, and dry goods. The company has an approximate 2.2% share of the UK food market.

In May 2014, Iceland reintroduced online shopping, which was dropped in 2007.

Iceland stated in June 2019 that it intended to open at least 34 new locations amid savage competition among grocery store chains.

In July 2019, the company became the first major supermarket to ban the use of plastic bags at its stores.

Iceland has 800 locations in the UK and more than 100 locations in 10 other countries, including Iceland, who is currently contesting the companies use of the name.

Iceland Foods

By 1977, the business was doing so well they opened another location in Manchester and by the end of 1978, the company had 28 locations to their name.

History

In May 2014, Iceland reintroduced online shopping, which was dropped in 2007.

Iceland stated in June 2019 that it intended to open at least 34 new locations amid savage competition among grocery store chains.

In July 2019, the company became the first major supermarket to ban the use of plastic bags at its stores.

Iceland has 800 locations in the UK and more than 100 locations in 10 other countries, including Iceland, who is currently contesting the companies use of the name.

Woolworths Australia Corporate Office

Woolworths, best known as Woolies, got its start back in 1924 when it opened in Sydney as Woolworths Stupendous Bargain Basement. The new store was unique at the time and the first variety store to print out receipts for customers, rather than handwritten notes.

The company began to expand, with Woolworths New Zealand opening in 1956, along with stores in Brisbane and Perth. By the end of 1933, despite the Great Depression, the company had 23 stores and opened its first store in Melbourne in 1936.

By 1955 the company had 200 stores. In 1997, the first Metro convenience store opened in Sydney. The company opened a buying office in Hong Kong in June 2006 which allowed them to cut prices by cutting out the middle man. That same year, the company announced a joint venture with the India-based Tata Group to sell Dick Smith electronics in India and it introduced self-serve checkouts at some locations.

Today, this conglomerate includes supermarkets (under the Woolworths name in Australia and the Countdown name in New Zealand), liquor retailing (as BWS and Dan Murphy’s in Australia), hotels and pubs under the Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group umbrella, and discount department stores under the Big W name in Australia.

In June 2019, the company announced that it was increasing the price of milk, but it is unclear if dairy farmers are going to benefit from this price increase.

Also in June 2019, a popular ice cream cake, Bulla Ready to Decorate, was pulled from store shelves over fears that the cake might contain undeclared allergens, which could pose a health risk.

Company headquarters are located in Bella Vista, New South Wales.

Woolworths

History

In June 2019, the company announced that it was increasing the price of milk, but it is unclear if dairy farmers are going to benefit from this price increase.

Also in June 2019, a popular ice cream cake, Bulla Ready to Decorate, was pulled from store shelves over fears that the cake might contain undeclared allergens, which could pose a health risk.

Company headquarters are located in Bella Vista, New South Wales.

Tesco Corporate Office

Tesco can trace its roots back to 1919 when Jewish immigrant Jack Cohen began selling wartime surplus items from a market stall on the east side of London. In 1924, Cohen purchased tea from Thomas Edward Stockwell and decided to use the first two initials of Stockwell’s name and the first two letters of his own name to create the name Tesco for his company. He began to call his company Tesco starting in 1924.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Tesco began to expand tremendously, mainly through acquisitions, until it owned more than 800 locations. The company started to expand the range of products it sold during the 1960s to include household goods and clothing under the Delamare brand, and in 1974 opened its first petrol station.

Today, Tesco is an international company with stores in 11 countries. While the company pulled out of the US in 2011, they have done tremendously well in other countries, including India, Poland, and Thailand. While the company began as a UK grocer, it has since moved on to become a major department store brand that rivals Walmart in their selection of products.

Tesco is listed on the London stock exchange under the symbol: TSCO. In early 2019, the company stated that they planned to cut more than 15,000 jobs as a part of a restructuring plan.

Like many other companies, Tesco is feeling pressured by internet giant Amazon and plans to try out till-less stores where shoppers can come in, pick their items, and walk out with billing for items being tallied by a mobile phone app.

The company began a massive recall in mid-July 2019, of various food items after discovering bits of metal and other contaminants in the packaging.

Tesco employs more than 450,000 people, with 340,000 jobs being located in the UK.

Tesco

History

Tesco is listed on the London stock exchange under the symbol: TSCO. In early 2019, the company stated that they planned to cut more than 15,000 jobs as a part of a restructuring plan.

The company began a massive recall in mid-July 2019, of various food items after discovering bits of metal and other contaminants in the packaging.

Tesco employs more than 450,000 people, with 340,000 jobs being located in the UK.

Gristedes Supermarket Corporate Office

Gristedes Supermarket was founded back in 1888 by German immigrant brothers Diedrich & Charles Gristede. They found work in a local market but soon opened their own gaslit store far from the center of town. Housewives who had to walk or take a carriage were happy to not have to travel so far. The store became so popular that the brothers soon opened 2 more locations.

The chain was sold to Southland in 1968 for $11.45 million. Southland, who also owns 7-11 stores, let the chain run on its own with very few changes or interference. By the early 1980s, however, Gristedes wasn’t doing as well and was sold to Red Apple Company in 1986 for $50 million.

Red Apple, owned by John A. Catsimatidis and operating in the Bronx as well as Manhattan, now became the largest supermarket chain in New York City. Gristede’s and Red Apple remained distinct, however. Red Apple had completed 14 Gristede’s remodels by the fall of 1987, including adding in-store delicatessens, bakeries, salad bars, hot takeout foods, and upscale cheese, prime-meat, and seafood sections.

To keep up with the evolving e-Commerce sales, the company launched its XpressGrocer.com site in December 2003. Gristede’s also began filling orders taken through Amazon in November 2004. The Amazon orders were available to be shipped anywhere in the United States, not just New York.

After losing nearly $1 million in fiscal 2002, the company posted a net loss of $11.6 million on sales of $279.69 million in fiscal 2003. The loss was attributed in part to opening seven new stores during the year. The blackout of August 14/15 in 2003 was partially responsible since it caused the loss of perishable food items, such as ice cream and milk.

In 2017, the company stated that it was interested in acquiring Fairway Markets. In early 2018, Patch.Com placed Gristedes on their list of the top 4 worst supermarket chains in New York.

Headquarters for Gristedes is on 3rd Avenue in New York, New York.

Gristedes Supermarket

History

In 2017, the company stated that it was interested in acquiring Fairway Markets. In early 2018, Patch.Com placed Gristedes on their list of the top 4 worst supermarket chains in New York.

Headquarters for Gristedes is on 3rd Avenue in New York, New York.