The name "Wakefern" is a portmanteau of the founders' names: W for Lawrence Weiss, A for Sam and Alex Aidekman, K for Abe Kesselman, E for Leo Eisenberg, and FERN for Dave Fern, although the company adopted the name ShopRite for its stores in 1951.

Together with our member companies, Wakefern employs nearly 80,000 people. Discover why generations of associates have been proud to be members of the Wakefern family — and see what opportunities may exist for you — by visiting our Careers page.

Wakefern restructures its sales and marketing operations, impacting 79 jobs The move will allow the grocery cooperative to take a “banner-driven approach” to customer communications, a company executive told Grocery Dive.

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Wakefern is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, comprising 50 member companies who independently own and operate 362 retail supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode ...

While our corporate mission is to help small businesses succeed in a big business world, Wakefern Food Corp. believes in nurturing and sustaining healthy communities.

To become the nation’s largest retailer-owned cooperative, Wakefern has adhered to three core values — integrity, innovation and teamwork. Along with an unwavering devotion to customer satisfaction, these beliefs have provided the rock-solid foundation upon which our business is built.