Wakefern, AWG make list of top-grossing co-op grocers

Wakefern Food Corp., a cooperative of grocery store owners, and distributor Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) are featured in the top 10 of the National Cooperative Bank’s listing of the nation's top 100 revenue-earning cooperative businesses for 2022, National Cooperative Bank (NCB) announced on Monday.

The NCB Co-op 100 tracks the profits of U.S.-based cooperative businesses in a variety of segments. Overall, the top-grossing co-ops earned $319 billion in 2022, a 25% increase from 2021. The grocery sector accounted for 10% of all cooperative revenue, with $33.1 billion last year, the report said. 

Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc., based in Kansas City, Kansas, reported revenue of $12.3 billion and earned the fifth position on the list, while Wakefern, which is based in Keasbey, New Jersey, reported $12.2 billion in revenue, coming in at sixth place

“Cooperatives employ millions of people, pay taxes and give back to their communities,” said Casey Fannon, NCB's president and CEO, in a letter accompanying the repot.

Associated Food Stores of Salt Lake City, Utah (24); Affiliated Foods of Amarillo, Texas (41); URM of Spokane,  Washington (48); Frontier Cooperative of Lincoln, Nebraska (58); Associated Grocers, Inc. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana (86); and Associated Grocers of New England in Pembroke, New Hampshire (98), were also included on the list.

Released each October during National Co-op Month, the NCB Co-op 100 offers NCB an opportunity to educate and promote this sector of the national and global economy. NCB provides banking solutions tailored to meet the needs of cooperatives and their members nationwide.