Nicholas Markets Rebranding as The Fresh Grocer

Nicholas Markets, the newest company in the Wakefern Food Corp. cooperative, will rebrand its four New Jersey Foodtown locations to The Fresh Grocer banner starting this month.

Nicholas' Colonia store will transition to the new banner Feb. 14; Washington Township on Feb. 21; North Haledon on Feb. 28; and Cedar Grove on March 6.

The Fresh Grocer is a registered trademark of retailer-owned Wakefern, which is based in Keasbey, N.J. Nicholas Markets, owned by the Maniaci family, announced in October that it had joined Wakefern, departing the Allegiance cooperative, parent of rival Foodtown stores.

“My customers know they get a top-notch, specialty grocery shopping experience at our stores, and we will continue to provide all the things our customers know and love while adding new and exciting features as we rebrand to The Fresh Grocer,” said David Maniaci, president and CEO of Nicholas Markets. “This is the exciting next chapter in my family’s 77-year history in the grocery business. I want to thank shoppers for their ongoing support as we complete our rebranding efforts and make the change to The Fresh Grocer.”

Nicholas said customers can expect their favorite parts of their store to remain while new products and features with the new name are added. Shoppers can now sign up for The Fresh Grocer Price Plus Club in stores. Customers will also notice new advertising circulars this month with special deals for the new The Fresh Grocer stores.

The stores will continue to offer restaurant-quality take-home meals and a variety of high-quality fresh foods. The change also brings access to Instacart home delivery and several new Wakefern products, such as Bowl & Basket, Paperbird and Wholesome Pantry private label brands.

Nicholas is a family-owned specialty supermarket that was founded in 1943, when Rocco Maniaci and his son Nicholas opened a small grocery store in North Haledon, N.J.

The Fresh Grocer joined Wakefern in 2013. By spring 2020, 12 family-owned The Fresh Grocer stores will be operating in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Fresh Grocer stores support regional food banks, local pantries and hold various food drives throughout the year to help hunger relief agencies and those in need. The Fresh Grocer supermarkets host a variety of in-store fundraisers to raise money for the American Red Cross, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Store associates celebrate Earth Day each year by partnering with Neighborhood Gardens Trust to clean up local gardens in Philadelphia.