Grocery cooperatives unify, affecting C&R Supermarkets

After a short transitional period, C&R Supermarket will carry Best Choice and Always Save brand items instead of Shurfine and Clear Value goods, as seen above.
After a short transitional period, C&R Supermarket will carry Best Choice and Always Save brand items instead of Shurfine and Clear Value goods, as seen above.

Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. and Affiliated Foods Midwest Cooperative Inc. are two large grocery cooperatives with massive distribution centers. They ship private label items to grocery stores across the nation.

In mid-September, after getting a vote approval from the grocery store member-owners involved, the two cooperatives decided to unify. They now form the largest grocery cooperative in the United States.

Why should that matter to you?

C&R Supermarkets, both in Fulton and across the state, are supplied by AFM.

"We're just wanting to get it out there that our warehouse has been bought out by AWG and we're merging," C&R Markets District Supervisor Glenn Jones said.

C&R will be switching from Shurfine and Clear Value private label goods to Best Choice and Always Save later this month.

"The first truck from AWG will be Oct. 25," Jones said.

The transitional period may be a little rough; Jones said the store was already experiencing some shortages. After the two new labels begin shipping, they'll share the shelves with the old brands until the latter are sold out.

After the transitional period, Jones said buyers will reap benefits.

"We're looking for a better price on the private labels," Jones said. "We'll be having a lot more private label items offered."

Jones said there will also be a "save-a-label" program associated with the new brands.

"(People) clip off their labels, and then they send them in to the AWG warehouse," Jones explained. "They will get so much per label for turning those in. It's a good fundraiser for churches and schools."