Another Buy for C&S: Albertsons' Frozen Service Contract

On the heels of C&S Wholesale Grocers' announced acquisition of Piggly Wiggly Midwest, the Keene, N.H.-based wholesaler said it has closed a deal to buy the frozen service contract for Albertsons from Burris Logistics.

Rick Cohen, chairman of C&S, said in a news release that the acquisition will further strengthen the company's ties with Albertsons in frozen product, "as well as support a new relationship with Albertsons’ mid-Atlantic division."

Family-owned Burris Logistics, based in Milford, Del., operates temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution centers along the East Coast and as far west as Oklahoma and has built a nationwide logistics and e-commerce fulfillment business. Donnie Burris, the company's CEO, said the sale will allow Burris "to accelerate our growth as an end-to-end provider of high-quality, customized supply-chain solutions and e-commerce fulfillment."

The growing strength of the frozen category made the contract with Albertsons an attractive target, C&S CEO Bob Palmer indicated. Chicago-based market researcher IRI noted earlier this month that frozen food growth outpaced the growth of many other grocery departments in 2020 and that demand remains robust vs. pre-pandemic times. In June, frozen-food dollar sales were up 21.9% vs. June 2019, IRI reported.

"We look forward to further strengthening our service in the important growing frozen segment and supporting the growth and continued success of our retail partner Albertsons," Palmer, who joined the company in October after high-profile account losses, said in the news release.