Total U.S. Sales
$19.6 billion in fiscal 2023 (ending Sept. 30, 2023)
Total U.S. Stores
Some 280 locations across 6 states (as of Sept. 30, 2023)
Shopper Count
7 million weekly
Headquarters
Keasbey, New Jersey
Key Facts
- ShopRite’s merchandising and distribution is coordinated by Wakefern Food Corp., the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S. and one of the largest employers in New Jersey
- Wakefern operates a total of 365 supermarkets under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite Marketplace, Gourmet Garage, Dearborn Market and Fairway Market banners
- Due to New Jersey liquor sales restriction, there are dozens of ShopRite Wines & Spirits stores located near ShopRite supermarkets
- Named Most Trusted Conventional Grocery Store in the Northeast by Newsweek and BrandSpark International in 2024
Key Executives
- Chief Executive Officer: Joseph Colalillo
- President and Chief Operating Officer: Mike Stigers
- Interim Chief Information Officer: John Janston
- Chief Communications Officer: Karen Meleta
- Chief Financial Officer: Neil Falcone
- Chief Sales Officer: Darren Caudill
- President, Price Rite Marketplace: Kevin McDonnell
- SVP of Strategy, Business Development and Architecture: Michael Day
- VP of Strategy, Planning and Transformation: Elena Kabasinskas
- VP of Advertising and Social Media: Ranjana Choudhry
- VP of Site Development, Real Estate and Member Services: Dan Tarnopol
Stores by State
Wakefern Food Corp.'s retail footprint includes ShopRite stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Wakefern does not provide a list of chain stores by state.
- Market Position and Strategy Overview
- Must-Know Terms
- Promotional Strategy
- Merchandising
- Collaborative Alliances
- Displays and Signage
- In-Store Media
- Store Formats/Growth
- Special Departments/Services
- Customer Segments
- Internet Marketing
- Retail Media
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Media
- E-Commerce
- Circulars
- Loyalty Programs
- Private Label
- Cause/Community Programs
- Advertising Strategy
- Solution Providers
- Sponsorships
- Marketing Expenditures
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Market Position and Strategy Overview
Now the largest retailer-owned co-operative in the U.S., Wakefern Food Corp. operates a total of 365 supermarkets under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite and Dearborn Market banners. The ShopRite co-op consists of nearly 280 stores operated by about 50 independent grocers who own anywhere from one to 30 locations in New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Additionally, ShopRite Supermarkets, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Wakefern, operates 33 stores in New York and New Jersey.
Price Rite is comprised of more than 60 stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Maryland. Launched by Wakefern in 1995 as a warehouse chain, Price Rite has since morphed into a limited-assortment value concept that differentiates itself from competitors by emphasizing fresh foods to a greater degree. The chain’s prices are 20-50% lower than those of traditional supermarkets.
There is no typical ShopRite store format or layout. Each store instead reflects the demands of local demographics (or, perhaps more simply, the unique business ideas of its owner). There are areas of uniformity, however:
- Members are required to purchase 85% of their inventory through Wakefern.
- Large-scale chain-wide promotions, such as the “Can Can Sale,” generally have a uniform feel — with room for local touches — through co-op distributed advertising funds, materials and guidelines.
- Most businesses are owned and operated by second, third and fourth generations of the founding families.
The chain also differentiates itself by maintaining a close relationship with surrounding communities, much like the ties that independent grocers had with shoppers when the Wakefern co-op was born in the 1940s. (See “Cause/Community Programs.”)
The retailer is notably adept at securing customized promotional activity despite its relatively small size. At any given time, the chain hosts several promotions from national brands, many of which are exclusive overlays to national campaigns or completely customized programs. (See “Collaborative Alliances.”) Top manufacturers also are enlisted to support ShopRite's own initiatives, such as "Partners in Caring." (See "Cause/Community Programs.")
Must-Know Terms
Must-Know Terms
- ShopRite From Home: A service that lets customers order groceries online for in-store pickup or home delivery. (See “E-Commerce Strategy.”)
- Can Can Sale: ShopRite’s classic 50-year-old promotion, presents massive storewide sales on all categories.
- Price Plus: The retailer’s main loyalty card program. Shoppers must be Price Plus cardholders to enter sweepstakes, receive incentives and access digital store coupons. (See “Loyalty Programs.”)
- Partners in Caring: Launched in 1999, the retailer’s hunger-fighting platform has become one if its most notable programs.
Thought Starters
- Big Brand Bash: Looks for ways to be included in this recurring retailer campaign, as participating manufacturers receive prominent support via circular features and the retailer’s digital marketing.
- Bounce the shoppers back: Promotions earning the most feature space usually dangle coupons for future receipts.
- Think locally: The chain likes promotions leveraging the popularity of New York Metro attractions such as the Radio City Rockettes.
- Show you care: Partners for the chain-wide Partners in Caring platform get strong recognition.
- How will it look on the price label?: Compliance across the co-op varies widely from owner to owner and store to store. Consider the possibility that at-shelf price labels will be the only in-store communication.
Promotional Strategy
Promotional Strategy
ShopRite has a greater appetite for collaborative promotions than many retailers. (See Promotional Calendar.) Weekly circulars regularly feature several manufacturer-level programs (typically presenting bulk-purchase incentives) and even one or two sweepstakes or contests each month. The promotions are almost always ShopRite exclusives or at least account-specific overlays to national campaigns — although national efforts themselves will occasionally get space.
Ongoing Programs
- Well Everyday: The program's theme changes periodically but always highlights better food, beverage or lifestyle choices via in-store signage.
- Club Sized Savings: The periodic promotion presents deals on large-size SKUs, multi-packs and multi-unit purchases with “no membership fees.”
Merchandising
Merchandising
As one of the top competitors in its markets, ShopRite has long used a sales and merchandising strategy that places a heavy emphasis on aggressive pricing and promotion. The strategy places significant pressure on competitors to keep pace. With extreme pricing, the retailer hopes to enhance its relationships with existing customers and win over its competitors' shoppers as well.
Product merchandising in stores, however, is as varied as the group of independent operators that constitute the co-operative. While ShopRite owners are contractually obligated to buy 85% of their merchandise from Wakefern, the specific product mix and SKU assortment are left up to store owners, who use their first-hand knowledge of the local community to guide decisions. Although the number varies significantly, stores tend to carry the channel-wide average of 45,000 SKUs.
Chainwide merchandising programs do exist, but store owners have great freedom in regard to execution. Therefore, P-O-P compliance for campaigns can be spotty (and, in the case of some owners, practically non-existent). The best-known chain-wide campaign is the “Can Can Sale,” which was first held in 1971 and runs for several weeks each winter.
Many stores have introduced a staff dietitian who is on site to help customers make healthier choices while shopping. Moreover, ShopRite has also launched a "Well Everyday" health program aimed at highlighting better food choices. The ongoing program will employ "eye-catching aisle visuals focused on promoting nutritious options," according to the grocer.
Shelf-Scanning Technology
Wakefern has teamed wth Simbe Robotics to bring the tech company's Tally inventory to its stores. After a successful pilot, Wakefern is adding the technology to more locations. Cameras and AI collect real-time data to ensure products are stocked, shelved correctly and priced accurately.
Fresh to Table
Wakefern continues to roll out Fresh to Table, a store-within-a-store concept that provides high-quality options and ingredients for shoppers looking for a one-stop–shop meal experience, including:
- Ready-to-cook items (Prep and Eat),
- Ready-to-heat and -serve items (Heat and Eat), and
- Ready-to-eat meals (Grab and Eat).
A Tasty and Trending section also stocks on-trend, seasonal foods with items that change often. The section’s meals and snacks are chosen by ShopRite chefs and registered dietitians with the aim of encouraging shoppers to explore meal options made from departments across the store, including meat, seafood, produce and bakery. Additionally, a One Stop Dinner Shop also merchandises easy-to-prepare entrees and dinner solutions curated by ShopRite chefs and dietitians.
The multipurpose space also stocks foods from ShopRite private brands Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry, while digital components, such as ShopRite Order Express, enable customers to pre-order meals online. Eye-catching signage and dedicated checkouts make Fresh to Table easy to navigate.
Sales By Category
As a private company, Wakefern does not disclose sales figures. Its second-largest member, Village Super Market, reported fiscal 2020 sales by category as:
Product Class |
Percentage of Sales |
Groceries |
35.9% |
Dairy and Frozen |
17.1% |
Produce |
11.9% |
Meats |
9.9% |
Non-foods |
7.9% |
Deli/Prepared Food |
7.4% |
Pharmacy |
3.8% |
Seafood |
2.9% |
Bakery |
2.1% |
Liquor |
0.7% |
Other |
0.4% |
Source: Village Super Market 2020 Annual Report |
Collaborative Alliances
Collaborative Alliances
Although it's a relatively small chain, ShopRite earns an impressive amount of special attention from leading CPGs. The retailer teams with top manufacturers for various recurring campaigns as well as numerous one-off promotions, most often for bulk-purchase incentives or account-specific sweepstakes/contests (communicated mainly through circular features and digital activity). It is particularly open to account-specific programs that tie into a manufacturer's concurrent co-op FSI event.
For seasonal efforts, ShopRite often leverages a manufacturer’s national promotion or sports sponsorship, such as:
- Procter & Gamble's sponsorship of the National Football League
Cause marketing activity also drive a substantial number of collaborative efforts, whether it be for the retailer's own “Partners in Caring” or overlays to manufacturer-driven programs. Among some more notable partnerships, General Mills’ Partners sponsorship, which began in 2006, has evolved to encompass a permanent upfront endcap for Big G cereals and an annual store fundraising contest that culminates with custom Cheerios packaging. ShopRite also annually:
- teams with Procter & Gamble's Pantene for a cause effort soliciting hair donations for children suffering from medical hair loss.
- gets exclusive packaging from General Mills' Cheerios to help ShopRite promote its “Partners in Caring” cause program.
Wakefern maintains a vendor partnership web page at www2.wakefern.com/vendors where it hosts supplier applications and guidelines.
In January 2024 Wakefern invited private label manufacturers to submit snack products to be considered for its Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry private labels. The Own Brands' CraveCon '24': Indulgent Snacks Summit takes place in May 2024, and vendors can apply via www.rangeme.com/wakeferncravecon2024.
Displays and Signage
Displays & Signage
ShopRite accepts a variety of vendor-supplied P-O-P materials including floorstands, shelf talkers, dump bins, window signs, aisle violators, pole toppers, power wings, shippers, ceiling signs and posters.
Brand-supplied, freestanding displays are plentiful and frequently used at the end of aisles. Pallet displays are not uncommon around the perimeter and in the seasonal aisle. Aside from permanent displays from top vendors such as PepsiCo/Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola Co. and Mondelez International, endcaps are generally reserved for the week's leading sales items, product launches or chainwide promotions.
Because the chain is composed of numerous independent operators, merchandising strategies vary widely — as does compliance for programs negotiated by Wakefern. For that reason, at-shelf price labels often are the only sure bet for in-store communication. ShopRite uses labels ubiquitously to promote its own programs, including Partners in Caring, and weekly manufacturer-specific promotions.
Spectaculars and standees often are located near entrances or in lobbies (especially in newer stores), and commonly tap into manufacturers’ sports sponsorships or seasonal themes.
Newer stores have dynamic signage, particularly near the prepared-food and dining area, directing shoppers to the “Diner” and “Oyster Bar.” (See “Store Formats/Growth.”) Numerous signs tout the ShopRite brand and fresh produce.
ShopRite employs a minimal number of category management systems, although it was one of the first supermarkets to carry Campbell Soup Co.’s iQ-Shelf Maximizer gravity-feed system and, subsequently, began installing a copycat version for spices provided by McCormick & Co.
In-Store Media
In-Store Media
ShopRite stores accept a variety of third-party in-store media — again in varying amounts. Among the more common:
- FrontLine Marketing Pharmacy Display: Health and wellness products are merchandised for a four-week period on a branded display unit operated by Frontline Marketing, Norwalk, CT, that appears in front of the pharmacy department. A media (poster) program is also available on the pharmacy display and is installed and rotated every four weeks.
- FrontLine Marketing Checkout Display: Branded displays for hair, beauty and cosmetics, OTC, general merchandise and food products are stocked and maintained over a four-week period in the checkout lanes by FrontLine Marketing, Norwalk, CT.
- SmartSource Vehicles: Shelf talkers, violators, floor decals and other vehicles via New York-based News America Marketing’s syndicated program.
- POPSign: Shelf talkers with pricing information from Insignia Systems, Minneapolis, MN.
- In-Store Radio: Operated by InStore Audio Network, Salt Lake City, UT, paid ads interspersed with music programming and the chain's own promotional messages.
- Price Labels: Promotions advertised via the primary at-shelf price labels provided by Little Rock, AR-based Vestcom International.
- AdCart: Ad placement on dedicated areas of shopping carts.
- Grocery TV: POS displays for CPG brands.
Store Formats/Growth
Store Formats/Growth
The retailer has been increasingly opening more and more locations, growing its store footprint from 217 in 2010 to more than 360 in 2023, located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Since stores are individually owned and operated (or part of small chains), building designs and layouts can vary significantly. Overall, most stores contain the typical supermarket layout with dairy, deli, bakery and meat departments located around the perimeter and packaged foods in the center aisles.
Traditional ShopRite stores range in size from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet. Newer “superstores'' range from 60,000 to more than 90,000 square feet. These larger stores provide a “one-stop” shopping experience and feature expanded higher-margin specialty departments such as on-site bakeries with cake decorating services and gourmet food departments with expanded delicatessens. Larger stores also have pharmacies and offer a greater selection of non-food items such as health & beauty aids, greeting cards, flowers and small appliances.
Some newer stores also feature Fresh to Table, a store-within-a-store concept showcasing fresh foods and easy-to-prepare ingredients and meal solutions in a range of grab-and-go formats. (See Merchandising.)
A number of locations are also adding cheese shops, Sushi & Wok Stations, full-service bakery, and Grill & Cafe departments. Other updates include renovated floral kiosks and expanded craft beer and soda sections that highlight local breweries.
A handful of ShopRite locations are being renovated to be more energy efficient or accessible to customers. Updates include electric vehicle charging stations, energy-efficient lighting, higher-efficiency freezer and refrigeration units, and lighted shelves. The company's real estate department continues to work with co-op members to find more sites for potential charging stations.
An Old Bridge, New Jersey, ShopRite held a grand re-opening in March 2024, after a major renovation. In addition to a pharmacy, hundreds of cheese selections and grab-and-go options, the new 80,0000-square-foot store incorporated several community suggestions, including 24-hour service and a seating area inspired by the local high school athletic teams.
ShopRite also opened a supermarket in Sussex, New Jersey, in October 2023, that was the first chainwide to include a True Value hardware store within a store. Other features of the new location include:
- A Fresh-to-Table department with prepared foods and deli items, and
- A temperature-controlled walk-in seafood market where employees can steam fish for customers as they shop.
A handful of ShopRite stores in New York's capital area were shuttered before the end of 2023, however, due to sluggish sales.
Price Rite
The 57 Price Rite warehouse-style stores are 30,000 to 35,000 square feet in size and carry a reduced assortment of value-priced items along with a full-sized produce department. Store layouts similarly vary significantly, but most stores present a typical supermarket layout with dairy, deli, bakery and meat departments located around the perimeter and packaged foods in the center aisles.
Special Departments/Services
Special Departments/Services
- LiveRight: A growing number of stores devote a special area to this branded department for organic, natural and healthy food offerings (many of which also are available at the primary category shelf).
- Retail Dietitian: 61 stores have a dietitian on staff to help shoppers plan healthy meals and offer nutritional advice.
- Higi Health Kiosks: Machines located in store pharmacies to check blood pressure and other health stats.
- ShopRite’s Culinary Workshop: 41 stores host weekly cooking lessons from professional chefs or the retail dietitians. The events are often seasonally themed or centered on a LiveRight topic.
- Scrunchy’s Playhouse: Several larger stores operate a supervised day care center at which parents can leave their children while they shop. (The concept does not appear to be a key part of future growth plans.)
Elsewhere, some stores also have special departments for kosher, Hispanic and other ethnic products, based on the needs of their communities. Other store-specific offerings include in-store banks, restaurants and specialty dining areas like an oyster bar, yoga studios and dry cleaners.
A new 78,000-square-foot concept store that opened to serve Morristown, NJ, in fall 2013 boasts a number of unique amenities:
- Wellness Center directly inside the entrance where customers can find dietitian services and a fitness studio.
- Child Learning Center, located just before the exit, where children 3 to 8 years old can be entertained by certified child-care instructors while parents shop.
- Village Food Garden of self-serve stations offering various ready-to-eat cuisines from around the world.
- fast-food “shops” like the VFG Diner, the Green Juice and Smoothie Bar, and a sit-down oyster bar.
Caper Carts
Wakefern is adding Instacart Caper Carts, smart carts that can auto-detect items instantly via AI-powered cameras, to select New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia-area ShopRite locations. The stores will have an updated version of the Caper Carts, which hold 65% more items than the prior model, but feature a lighter and slimmer format.
Fairway Now
Select Fairway Market locations in New York City now offer Fairway Now service. The stores have a dedicated aisle for Instacart shoppers which is stocked with frequently ordered items, in some cases enabling delivery in as little as 30 minutes.
Customer Segments
Customer Segments
By analyzing data from the Price Plus loyalty program, Wakefern has identified a handful of distinct consumer segments based on behavioral tendencies:
- Young families,
- Growing families,
- Seniors,
- Kosher,
- Hispanic,
- Health and Wellness.
Despite their demographically focused names, these categories are based on purchase behavior. (For example, shoppers who repeatedly buy the same brands as core Hispanic shoppers are placed in that category regardless of ethnicity.) Every category is represented at each store to varying degrees based on the concentration of the segments within its customer base. Marketing programs are tailored accordingly.
Age has also become increasingly important, as the retailer’s core shopper base grows older. ShopRite has been surprisingly active in the digital marketing arena because it understands the need to reach younger shoppers. The chain has been closely comparing behavior among consumers under and over the age of 45 to find ways of improving loyalty within the younger set, which tends to be:
- more receptive to email communication.
- significantly more likely to use “ShopRite from Home.”
- the dominant user of the ShopRite mobile app.
In recent years, ShopRite teamed with Saputo Dairy Foods on a program aimed at attracting foodie shoppers who seek healthy foods to feed their families and tend to shop at competing grocers and Trader Joe’s.
Internet Marketing
Internet Marketing Strategy
Digital couponing is a large part of the retailer’s forward-looking marketing plan. Launched in June 2011 (with help from You Technology), the “Digital Coupon Center” on shoprite.com lets shoppers access roughly 150 coupons that change periodically and load them onto their Price Plus loyalty cards. (See “Loyalty Programs.”) The program was designed both to add more value to the loyalty cards and to drive more traffic to the website. By 2013, the “Digital Coupon Center” was the fourth most-accessed feature of shoprite.com.
Shoprite.com provides a variety of opportunities for the placement of brand messages, including:
- An "Offers & Promotions" page lists all current activity. The listings typically link to information on chain-specific programs, but will promote manufacturer-specific sweepstakes when available.
- Banners and displays ads surround the digital version of the weekly circular (via MyWebGrocer). The digital tab is the most-viewed item on the site. The ads run in numerous other areas as well, including the category-specific pages within the site’s e-commerce area and surrounding the “Store Locator” page.
ShopRite also employs digital ads on the websites of local new organizations to promote seasonal activity and promotions, and regularly runs co-op ads with manufacturers such as Kimberly-Clark and Coca-Cola Co.
Retail Media
Retail Media
Wakefern launched its own retailer media network in 2024. Wakefern Media Exchange extends advertising opportunities across the retailer's touchpoints for consumer brands. Advertisers can use the network to highlight products and tailor messages to shopper preferences and needs. It also combines and consolidates planning, activation and measurement controls for in-store marketing and onsite and offsite media buying in a single platform, available in managed service and self-service models. The self-service platform is powered by Inmar Intelligence.
Wakefern also can offer advertising partners:
- brand showcases/landing pages,
- home page presence,
- shoppable recipes (via "The Recipe Shop" on ShopRite.com), and
- Targeted email blasts to Price Plus loyalty shoppers.
ShopRite CTV
In April 2023, Wakefern introduced Front End digital TV displays from Grocery TV at a select group of ShopRite stores in the New York City metropolitan area. The 32-inch monitors are set up in high-traffic locations and are designed to be highly visible as both a messaging medium as well as a way to reduce perceived wait time at checkout. The displays can target audiences on both national and regional levels. Wakefern plans to continue adding CTVs to other locations.
Freeosk
Following a successful pilot, Wakefern is expanding use of Freeosk's interactive sampling kiosks to elevate its multisensory retail media activations in-store, placing units in 95 ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer stores.
Trends Report
For the past five years, brand marketers asked to rate various retail media platforms for the Path to Purchase Institute’s annual Trends Report have generally given the platforms good scores. In P2PI’s 2024 Trends Report, a majority of respondents gave Wakefern’s measurement capabilities a “fair/poor” score. (For more, see chart below.)
![wakefern retail media score 2024](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/public/2024-01/wakefern.png)
Mobile Marketing
![ShopRite Mobile Site](https://assets1.p2pi.com/s3fs-public/styles/hero/s3/2022-07/2015_06_03_stopshop_mobile_homepage_001.jpg)
Mobile Marketing Strategy
ShopRite views mobile technology as a way to fill the gap between the website and the in-store experience. Thus, mobile has become an important strategic initiative for the chain, especially for targeting younger shoppers.
Developed by MyWebGrocer, the ShopRite mobile app lets users:
- place orders through “ShopRite from Home.”
- create and edit a digital shopping list.
- peruse digital coupons and load them onto their Price Plus card.
- access "exclusive" digital coupons.
- review past purchases.
- search and view recipes.
- view the deals in the weekly circular.
The retailer's mobile-optimized website provides the same capabilities as the ShopRite mobile app, as well as additional resources such as “Health and Wellness” information.
Select stores in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have rolled out a "ShopRite Mobile Scan” that's designed to speed up the checkout process by letting Price Plus cardholders scan products as they go, then pay at designated self-service stations by syncing their mobile devices. The app automatically deducts eligible savings as the items are scanned, and also sends deal alerts based on the user's location in the store.
ShopRite also recently released a mobile app dedicated to its pharmacy department. Developed by MarkeTouch Media, Inc., the ShopRite Pharmacy mobile app lets users:
- refill prescriptions.
- browse offers from the app's homepage carousel.
- transfer a prescription.
- obtain drug information.
- locate the nearest ShopRite pharmacy.
An additional ShopRite "Deli & More" app lets shoppers order freshly prepared food such as sandwich platters and fruit and veggie platers to pick up in stores.
The Pantry
In 2023, Wakefern began testing an AI-powered convenience store at its corporate campus. Called "The Pantry," it's a mobile app that links to employees' ShopRite Price Plus accounts. Cameras and shelf sensors identify products as associates shop, offering them a frictionless path to purchase experience. The autonomous checkout technology was developed by Israel-based Trigo.
Social Media
Social Media Strategy
Facebook: 547k followers (as of April 2021)
The chain posts between several times a week to twice per day, promoting sales, cause campaigns, private label and national brand products, seasonal promotions, and sharing recipes and cooking videos.
Twitter: 26k followers (as of April 2021)
Activity mirrors Facebook. The retailer also uses the account to respond to shopper questions and complaints.
YouTube: 9K subscribers (as of April 2021)
Posts on a near weekly basis to share recipe videos and TV spots.
Pinterest: 4K followers (as April 2021)
The retailer has about 28 boards that are used to share recipes and link to seasonal showcases within shoprite.com.
Instagram: 47.4k followers (as April 2021)
Activity mostly mirrors Facebook.
E-Commerce
E-Commerce Strategy
For a relatively small regional co-op, ShopRite is well ahead of the curve when it comes to e-commerce and operates two distinct services.
ShopRite Delivers once offered "hot deals" on appliances, packaged foods, electronics and other similar items through shopritedelivers.com, but now only sells ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer gift cards through the site.
ShopRite customers can order groceries through the website or mobile app for curbside pickup or home delivery. All stores across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland offer the service. ShopRite promotes its online grocery aggressively, resulting in sales in this space reaching up to 10% of total-store sales at some locations, according to EnsembleIQ sister-publication Progressive Grocer.
More than 200 ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer locations offer live tracking of online grocery orders. The feature is powered by Delivery Solutions' platform, and customers can track and receive status updates on their orders as well as provide feedback on the experience.
A Kingston, NY, ShopRite location is testing the Kardex Remstar Shuttle XP Vertical Lift Module (VLM) storage solution. The compact automated storage-and-retrieval system is designed to provide high-capacity storage in small spaces. Grocery orders are stored in totes on trays inside the Shuttle XP, and the unit automatically delivers the totes upon an order barcode scan when customers arrive at the store for pickup. The system also can deliver orders when a customer checks in for curbside pickup, the companies said.
The ShopRite of Yardley and the ShopRite of Bethlehem, both in Pennsylvania, are offering customers the opportunity to have their groceries delivered by battery-powered delivery robots.
ShopRite and Phononic in January 2024 launched new cooling tote technology at a New York ShopRite store. Phononic developed the 2nd Generation ACS (Active Cooling Solutions) Freezer and Refrigerator Tote, which is used to pick, store and stage online orders and save space in-store. According to ShopRite, the totes enabled the grocer to create an Order. Pickup. Deliver. department in a smaller footprint store. The totes are more sustainable and cost effective thanks to being HFC-free and operating without traditional refrigerants.
In April 2024, Wakefern partnered with DoorDash. Customers using the platform can order from ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Fairway Market, Gourmet Garage and Dearborn Market locations.
Circulars
Circulars and Publications
The weekly circular is still ShopRite’s primary traffic driver. Produced by Wakefern with little store-level variation, the circular has Sunday-to-Saturday sale dates and runs eight to 12 pages.
Unlike many other supermarket chains that emphasize fresh foods, ShopRite still devotes much of its front page to package goods from national brands. Product features are most often grouped by category or department, but also regularly under seasonal or lifestyles themes. The chain also frequently unites multiple brands from a single manufacturer for promotional offers.
Regular sales tactics include BOGOs and double- and triple-coupon sales. Prominence is given to the chain's own storewide programs, but plenty of weekly space is devoted to brand-specific events. Although many of the latter represent account-specific programs, they also regularly include general support for national campaigns.
Recently, major features often contain QR codes that link to specific offers in the Digital Coupon Center or additional information about that promotion on shoprite.com. The digital version of the weekly circular will occasionally carry an additional page of deals.
Other publications include a periodic "Club Size Savings" circular, which offers month-long deals on large-size SKUs, multi-packs and multi-unit purchases with “no membership fees.”
The retailer also has produced a “Holiday Toy & Gift Guide,” a 24-page digital publication presenting deals on seasonal merchandise. Spotlighted products have manufacturers have included Mattel Inc., Lego Group and Mega Brands.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty Programs
The majority of ShopRite’s weekly offers are exclusive to Price Plus loyalty cardholders. The card also is required to download digital coupons from the Digital Coupon Center.
The retailer uses information from its Price Plus loyalty card database to develop marketing plans and provide product vendors with information to fuel their own campaigns. Price Plus cardholders regularly receive brand-specific direct-mail promotions tailored to their unique purchase histories. Cardholders also are able to load digital coupons to their cards through shoprite.com’s “Digital Coupon Center” or the chain's mobile application.
Private Label
Private Label
Wakefern's robust private label operation includes wholesale distribution to non-ShopRite supermarkets and institutional customers within and beyond the company's traditional Northeastern base. The company has boasted its ShopRite and Price Rite private labels generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.
ShopRite's portfolio is comprised of about a handful of brands. Among the more noteworthy labels:
- ShopRite: the flagship brand offers thousands of value-priced products in categories such as fresh foods, beverages, sauces and potato chips.
- ShopRite Kitchen: prepared foods.
- Wholesome Pantry: free-from and USDA-certified organic products, designed to appeal to shoppers in search of cleaner labels and simple ingredients.
- ShopRite Trading Company: premium artisanal foods inspired by various world cuisines. The line includes both imported and domestically sourced foods.
- Paperbird Own Brands: In 2024, Wakefern expanded the Paperbird Blue line, which includes cleaning and paper products.
- Farm Flavor: miscellaneous canned goods and juices.
- Readington Farms: meat.
Based in Whitehouse Station, NJ, Readington Farms is also a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wakefern Food Corp. that produces private label milk, spring water, orange juice, iced teas and drinks for ShopRite and PriceRite.
The retailer also recently partnered with Perdue Farms to add rotisserie-style chicken raised without antibiotics under private label ShopRite Kitchen.
Since launching Wholesome Pantry, ShopRite has increasingly devoted more marketing attention (via circulars and social media) to its healthy and better-for-you private label products compared to past years. The brand is also typically spotlighted via recipes on the "Potluck” shoprite.com blog.
At its most recent annual shareholder meeting in East Brunswick, N.J., executive vice president Chris Lane reported on efforts to enhance retail operations through targeted rebranding efforts and a focus on private label brands. Wakefern, he said, is building a team to source on-trend products with innovative packaging and design.
Cause/Community Programs
Cause/Community Programs
ShopRite is extremely active in its communities. The chain's most notable and visible program is “Partners in Caring,” a hunger-fighting effort launched in 1999. Products from participating manufacturers are marked with shelf tags in stores. (See "Collaborative Alliances.") The initiative has donated roughly $48 million in money and food to about 2,200 charitable agencies in the Northeast. Procter & Gamble has tied donations to social media updates promoting the program.
ShopRite also partners with Colgate-Palmolive's Colgate on an annual "Recycled Playground Challenge" where local schools compete to win a new playground and store gift cards.
ShopRite ramped up its charitable activity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts have included:
- Partnering with Procter & Gamble and sports marketing company ProCamps on a virtual guest teacher series to bring professional athletes to remote classrooms.
- The Partners in Caring Fund made a $1 million donation to regional food banks.
- The retailer ran a "Essential Thanks" campaign pledging to donate $1 to a local food bank (up to $500,000) for every post made thanking first responders, healthcare workers or store associates on a campaign website or social media with the hashtag #EssentialThanks
Brookdale ShopRite, with stores in Bloomfield and Newark, New Jersey, received a grant under the Food Retail Innovation in Delivery Grant (FRIDG) Program. Monies are used to buy temperature-controlled lockers in designated food desert communities — in this case, at the Shani Baraka Women's Resource Center. Area residents can place online grocery orders (including using SNAP benefits), which will be stored in the lockers until they can be picked up. Brookdale ShopRite is waiving the delivery fees to make it easier for individuals and families to access healthier and more affordable food items.
Sustainability
ShopRite also has committed to sustainability and conservation causes, including:
- Tree plantings: The retailer has worked with One Tree Planted to help plant 25,000 saplings in the Northeast.
- America's Grow-a-Row: ShopRite partners with the nonprofit by through volunteering to plant, pick, rescue and deliver free, fresh produce to those in need.
- Reducing food waste: The retailer donates food and contributes to composting efforts to keep food out of landfills.
- Recycling: Stores have dedicated recycling bins and the retailer focuses on its Own Brand products with special How2Recycle labeling. The retailer has recycled more than 2.6 million tons of materials since the late 1970s.
- Green teams: Many stores take part in community and in-store cleanups.
Advertising Strategy
Advertising Strategy
Tagline: "We’re All About Food. We’re All About Savings. We’re All About You"
Wakefern develops, executes and coordinates most media advertising campaigns internally. Campaigns are conducted for individual storeowners as well as for the chain as a whole. In the latter case, the focus is often on specific promotions like the “Can Can Sale.” The retailer does run branding efforts that position stores as a convenient source of quality, low-priced products and a proud member of the local community, and also promotes chain-wide services such as ShopRite From Home. (See “E-Commerce Strategy.”).
Chainwide campaigns typically have higher production values, with professional actors portraying consumers shopping for products in stores; spots created for individual owners often use actual employees and are shot in the advertised store. TV spots usually highlight products from manufacturers such as Georgia-Pacific and PepsiCo/Frito-Lay as well as ShopRight’s private-label products.
Radio also is a frequent part of the media plan. Increasingly, digital advertising is becoming an important part of the mix. (See "Internet Marketing Strategy.")
ShopRite’s slogans over the years have included:
- One Place. Your Place (2008-2012)
- Always Fresh, Always for Less (1998-2008)
- ShopRite Does it Right (1980s-1990s)
Solution Providers
Solution Providers
ShopRite handles most traditional marketing activity in-house. Among its marketing services partners are:
- ShopRite mobile app: MyWebGrocer, Winooski, Vermont
- Digital marketing: You Technology, San Francisco
- POS advertising: Neptune Retail Solutions, Jersey City, New Jersey
- Digital Advertising: Grocery TV, Austin, Texas
- Product discovery: RangeMe, San Francisco
Sponsorships
Sponsorships
ShopRite does not have any sponsorship agreements with professional sports organizations or teams, although it welcomes programs that leverage the official affiliations of CPG vendors.
The single exception to this is the "ShopRite LPGA Classic," a 54-hole tournament sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association that’s held in New Jersey each year. ShopRite has sponsored the event since 1992, promoting it through circular features, home page carousel ads, in-store signage and Facebook updates.
Marketing Expenditures
Marketing Expenditures
As a private business, Wakefern does not divulge its marketing expenditures.
![ShopRite](https://assets1.p2pi.com/styles/hero/s3/2022-07/shoprite_logo.png)
ShopRite Promotional Calendar
A roundup of seasonal promotions.
January
- Super Bowl: From Crock-Pots to party platters, the retailer promotes various products to help shoppers “get ready for game day.”
- New Year: A “New Year, New You” theme promotes deals on various products, with a bit of a health focus.
- Can Can Sale: The retailer’s trademark sales event showcases bulk-friendly items across the store via circulars, digital ads and an array of in-store displays.
February
- Valentine’s Day: Traditional spotlight on confectionery with incentives for gift card purchases.
- American Heart Month: Circular features highlight heart-healthy SKUs
March
- Frozen Food Month: Highlights various products and typically offers savings on a future receipt with purchase of select items.
- Easter: Offers a free “Holiday Dinner Favorite” (turkey, ham, Tofurky) for Price Plus cardholders reaching a total-receipt threshold. “Lenten” favorites also get heavy attention.
- Passover: Circular features and in-store price labels spotlight relevant products.
- St. Patrick’s Day: Circular and online activity spotlights relevant products.
- Spring Cleaning: Household brands from manufacturers such as Kimberly-Clark and SC Johnson get promoted in the circular, usually through a bulk-purchase incentive.
April
- Earth Day: Promotes "green" products via circular features, website, Facebook and in-store signage.
- Administrative Professionals’ Day: Circular features and emails spotlight gift ideas and office-party needs.
- Mother’s Day: Circular features promote various gifts and offer savings on future store receipts.
May
- Mother’s Day
- Memorial Day/Summer: Seasonal activity begins with a focus on grilling and outdoor furniture in the circular, with manufacturer-specific offers sprinkled in.
- Graduation: More gift and party ideas in tabs and online.
- National Pet Month: Circulars spotlight pet brands.
June
- Summer
- Father’s Day: Highlights various gift ideas, some with coupons.
July
- Back-to-School: Begins to promote school supplies, breakfast/lunch staples and other related products through sales and incentives.
- Summer Can Can Sale/Hot, Hot, Hot Summer Sale: First held in 2002, the Summer Can Can Sale has become just as big as its winter counterpart. In 2018, ShopRite ran a "Hot, Hot, Hot Summer Sale" in lieu of its annual "Summer Can Can Sale."
August
- Back-to-School: The seasonal focus gets heavier in circulars and stores as the Metro school year approaches. Manufacturer-specific promotions are plentiful.
September
- Back-to-School
- Grand Tasting: ShopRite's sponsorship of the "New York City Wine & Food Festival" plays out with massive pre-event features and a sweepstakes awarding tickets to the October event.
October
- Halloween: Bulk-purchase deals on confectionery and snacks are promoted in circulars through heavy display merchandising.
- Breast Cancer Awareness: Ties in to October's designation as "Breast Cancer Awareness Month" by teaming with Procter & Gamble's Pantene to host in-store events encouraging shoppers to donate their hair to cancer patients. Otherwise, ShopRite spotlights some "pink" SKUs but activity has wavered in recent years.
November
- Thanksgiving/Holiday: Prepared meals, baked goods and related products get the spotlight as well as the standard "free turkey" (or alternative) offer.
December
- Holiday