Homeland to Buy United of Oklahoma

ELLIOT ZWIEBACH

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Homeland Stores, a subsidiary of the retail division of Associated Wholesale Grocers here, has agreed to purchase United Supermarkets of Oklahoma, based in Altus. Terms were not disclosed.

In a state with no large chain-store operators other than Wal-Mart, United, with 26 stores, is among the largest independents, local observers told SN. The business represents new wholesale volume for AWG; United Supermarkets previously had been a customer of Affiliated Foods, Amarillo, Texas.

Homeland operates 66 stores: 51 in Oklahoma, 12 in Kansas and three in Missouri. Once the deal is completed — probably by the end of the month, the company said — it will operate 92 stores.

Darryl Fitzgerald, chief executive officer of Homeland, said Homeland expects to retain the United banner on the stores, and changes inside the stores will be kept to a minimum.

“We admire the job United has done and are delighted to add these stores to our organization,” he said. “We are large enough to have the resources to compete in the marketplace, and still small enough that we can customize our stores to serve the specific communities where we operate.”

United Supermarkets of Oklahoma, which is privately held, has been in operation for 91 years. Company executives could not be reached for comment.