Who Are the Largest Wholesale Grocers?

 

Wholesale grocers are in the business of bringing goods from the manufacturers and vendors to the stores. Wholesale grocers cater to different types of retail clients and they supply different types of manufactured goods to these stores.

Here are some of the largest wholesale grocers in the country.

C&S Wholesale Grocers

C&S Wholesale Grocers is one of the largest suppliers of groceries in the USA. It was also featured in the Forbes magazine under the category of large private companies in the USA.

They supply groceries to almost 4000 stores that are a mix of high-end stores to supermarkets to food retail stores at the military bases. C&S Wholesale Grocers handle distribution of about 100,000 products through their warehouse that are scattered all over the country.

It was founded by Abraham Siegel and Israel Cohen with a distribution business of only 1,200 products. Today C&S Wholesale Grocers is the largest company by revenue that is in the business of groceries. Back then, in 1918, when the company was founded, it employed only three people and served the grocery needs of the residents of Worchester.

During the World War II the founders seized the business opportunity of serving the food needs of military commissaries. In fact C&S Wholesale Grocers are known for seizing newer markets through opportunities that presented themselves or by creating their own. They are also the pioneer in establishing several methods of cutting costs and making the distribution system efficient. One such initiative was to use rollers in the warehouses to make movement of products easier. The company also utilized the supermarket boom during the war to make new clients.

In less than 20 years, the company became the leader in supplying groceries to supermarket chains. As the years went by the company continued to do newer things in their business. They quickly gained control of the frozen food market and also made new acquisitions, which contributed to the growth of the company. In the 1990s, the company added clients like Wal-Mart to its repertoire and in 1991 they registered sales of $1 billion dollars.

Their business acquisitions continued and also the growth and within a decade their annual sales reached upward of $8 billion dollars and in 2006 the same touches the figure of $20 billion.

The success of C&S Wholesale Grocers is attributed to the fact that they serve all types of stores irrespective of their size. And they do this in a very efficient manner. They are also able to offer their clients the best of discounts and services. C&S Wholesale Grocers have also involved in many philanthropy works over the years like free food distribution to the hungry kids or providing support to literacy programs. They have also reached out to the community in times of natural calamities and other emergency situations in the country.

Brenham Wholesale Grocery Co., Inc.

Brenham Wholesale Grocery Co., Inc. is based in Texas and one of the largest wholesale grocers in the US today. With their inventory of 17000 products, the company serves supermarkets, small stores and restaurants as well. Their product range includes meat produce, frozen foods, dry grocery items, candies, ice creams and many household products. The company was founded in 1905 and has been consistently growing in revenue ever since. The goal was to serve the grocery needs of their small Texas town but Brenham Wholesale Grocery Co., Inc. quickly grew to cover newer markets and geographical locations.

The success of Brenham Wholesale Grocery Co., Inc. is given to the fact that the company and its people quickly adapt to new markets and embrace new technology with ease to improve their business. The company is also known for their exemplary customer service.

International Wholesale

International Wholesale located at Southfield, Michigan specializes in serving the food distribution in dollar stores. But they do cater to all supermarkets, convenience stores and small retail stores. The company serves stores across many states in the US but also to other countries in many parts of the world. They also help businesses open new dollar stores. They have made a name in the market for selling quality products at a dollar rate. Their growth has been consistent over the years and their future looks brighter still

SpartanNash

SpartanNash; in terms of revenue; is one of the largest wholesale food distributors serving the military commissaries in the USA. It not only distributes food products in the USA and some other countries as well but also owns and operates its own retail stores like Bag ‘n’ Save, Sun Mart and many more.

SUPERVALU

SUPERVALU is a leader in wholesale grocery distribution. The company serves stores across the nation through its dedicated network of stores. With their annual sales reaching the figure of $17 billion and their distribution network reaching millions of people, SUPERVALU is a name to be reckoned with and continues to grow in terms of size and revenue.

The company also manufactures their own products that they distribute through their own network. Their distribution centers are equipped with the latest technology. They pride themselves in keeping the pricing affordable for all. They have always believed in innovation and it is one of the reasons for the success of SUPERVALU. They have a solid distribution network and a team of dedicated employees. They also have a strong online tool that has helped the company expand its market. The tool helps suppliers by helping them with their orders and inventory management.

Synergy Brands Inc.

Synergy Brands Inc. distributes groceries and other household products to stores across the US. The company also manufactures its own range of packaged meals and spices and distributes the same as well. It was ranked as one of the largest distributors of groceries in the US, Synergy Brands Inc. filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

Metro Inc.

Metro Inc. is based in Quebec Canada but deserves a mention here as it is one of the largest distributors of food in Canada. The company operates hundreds of its own brands of food stores.