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Gristedes joins Allegiance retail cooperative

Neighborhood grocer to improve offerings for NYC shoppers

Russell Redman

September 7, 2018

1 Min Read

New York City grocery chain Gristedes Foods Inc. has joined Allegiance Retail Services LLC, a retailer-owned cooperative.

With the move, announced this week, Gristedes said it will add the Green Way natural and organic product line and bolster its selection of local items, enabling the chain to better cater to the needs of the urban neighborhoods it serves.

Gristedes has 26 supermarkets in New York City, including 24 in Manhattan and two in Brooklyn.

“Strategically aligning the Gristedes business with Allegiance in the New York market positions us to improve our offerings and further increases our ability to be the neighborhood grocer for all New Yorkers,” said John Catsimatidis, chairman and CEO of Gristedes parent company Red Apple Group.

For Iselin, N.J.-based Allegiance, the addition of Gristedes marks the co-op’s 30th member and raises its total store count to 120 in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Its independent supermarket banners include Foodtown, Freshtown Marketplace, D’Agostino, Freshco Supermarkets, LaBella Marketplace, Brooklyn Harvest, Market Fresh and Big Deal Food Market.

Allegiance provides its retail members with marketing, advertising, technology and merchandising support and offers a full line of private-label products, including more than 1,000 SKUs under the Foodtown brand.

“Helping businesses serve local customers has been at the heart of our operation since our inception,” said John Derderian, president and chief operating officer of Allegiance. “The addition of Gristedes to the Allegiance Retail Services family of cooperative grocers further supports our intelligent growth strategy.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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