Sponsored By

Harps Food Stores to buy 20 Town & Country Grocers stores

Acquisition to expand footprint in Arkansas, Missouri

Russell Redman

March 11, 2020

1 Min Read
Town_&_Country_Supermarket-Doniphan_MO.png
After selling locations to Harps Food Stores, Town & Country Grocers will have 16 remaining stores in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.Town & Country Grocers

Harps Food Stores plans to acquire 20 stores under five banners in Arkansas and Missouri from Fredericktown, Mo.-based Town & Country Grocers.

Financial terms of the agreement, announced late Tuesday, weren’t disclosed. Harps said the transaction is expected to be finalized this summer, pending customary due diligence and approval from Town & Country shareholders.

The deal includes five stores in northeastern Arkansas under the Country Mart (two locations), Town & Country Supermarket (two) and Price Chopper (one) banners and 15 stores in southeastern Missouri under the Country Mart (eight), Town & Country Supermarket (five), Cash Saver (one) and ALPS Supermarket (one) banners.

“Opportunities like this are rare,” Harps Chairman, President and CEO Kim Eskew said in a statement. “We are extremely excited about adding these stores to our Harps family. They will make a great addition to our company as we strive to continue to grow.”

Currently, Springdale, Ark.-based Harps operates 92 stores in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas, including 80 Harps stores, 10 10Box Cost-Plus stores, one Price Cutter food store and one Price Cutter pharmacy.

Town & Country Grocers lists 36 store locations on its website. After the deal with Harps closes, the retailer would have 16 stores under the Town & Country Supermarket (eight locations), Country Mart (three) and Cash Saver (five) banners in Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee.

Related:Harps names Van Hoose executive vice president

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

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News