New Jersey’s ShopRite of Kearny to change hands after operator's retirement

New Jersey’s Nutley Park ShopRite Inc. plans to acquire the assets of Kearny ShopRite, Inc. from the Tully family, ShopRite Inc. announced on Friday.

The sale, which also includes Tully ShopRite Liquors, comes as longtime grocery operator Richard Tully retires from the supermarket business. The acquisition is expected to be completed in June.

“ShopRite of Kearny and the Tully family have been dedicated to customer and community service for decades, and we are proud to continue those traditions as we welcome their store and associates into our family of supermarkets,” said Carol LoCurcio, owner of Nutley Park Shop-Rite, Inc., which operates the ShopRites of Belleville and Nutley in New Jersey. “We wish Richard the best in his well-deserved retirement. We look forward to building on the legacy of service the Tully family has established in Kearny.”

Richard Tully’s father, John Tully, opened his first market in Kearny in 1938. He joined the retailer-owned Wakefern Food Corp. in 1948, two years after Wakefern was formed, making him one of the earliest members of Wakefern and the first to put the name ShopRite on his store.

As a result, the ShopRite name has been part of the Kearny community for nearly 75 years. The store is currently located at 100 Passaic Avenue.

“We are proud that our family has served the Kearny community for more than seven decades and grateful for all the friendships we’ve made along the way. We thank our loyal customers and our dedicated associates,” said Richard Tully in a statement. “We know the store is in good hands with Nutley Park ShopRite, Inc. and the LoCurcio family at the helm. Although this chapter is ending for me as I retire, my connection to the community will remain.”

Wakefern Food Corp., the country’s largest retailer-owned cooperative, includes ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, serving millions of customers each week.

The ShopRite of Nutley also has a long history of community commitment and membership in the Wakefern cooperative.

Grocer Vincent LoCurcio, Sr. opened a superette in downtown Nutley in 1953 and joined Wakefern one year later. His son, Vincent LoCurcio III, would later lead the business and eventually the family opened a second store, the ShopRite of Belleville, in 2013.  Vincent’s wife, Carol LoCurcio, and Vincent’s son, Joseph Frusteri, now operate both stores.

Earlier this month Zallie Family Markets, a family-owned and operated South Jersey-based company, held a grand re-opening on Sunday for its ShopRite in Glassboro, New Jersey.

Located at 201 William Dalton Drive, the store renovation is one of the company’s investments this year as it celebrates 50 years in the supermarket business.