Upscale independent McCaffrey’s Market is growing again. Earlier this year, the family-owned grocer announced it would relocate its 13,000 square foot “Simply Fresh” store in Doylestown, PA to a larger unit about a mile away in that same Bucks County berg. The new 51,000 square foot site once housed a Weis Market and is expected to open early next year.
And just before presstime, we learned McCaffrey’s has agreed to acquire Pennington Quality Market (PQM), another upscale independent retailer in Pennington, NJ. The deal was made involving two “royal” families of supermarket merchants in the Delaware Valley – the McCaffreys (Jim III and Jim IV) and the Rothwells (Mike and Barbara {Henderson} Rothwell).
In fact, Larry Rothwell, who acquired PQM nearly 45 years ago (the original, smaller store opened in 1960), was instrumental in putting Jim McCaffrey III in business in 1980 when McCaffrey opened his first store, a deli on Knights Road in Philadelphia (the first McCaffrey’s supermarket opened in Yardley, PA in 1986).
The Pennington store fits squarely within McCaffrey’s wheelhouse, centrally located between three successful supermarkets in Bucks County – Yardley, Newtown Square and New Hope – and the retailer’s two existing New Jersey stores in Princeton and West Windsor. The PQM acquisition will become McCaffrey’s ninth store.
On a personal note, my feelings are bittersweet. It’s been no secret for the past few months that the Rothwells were ready to retire. However, the legacy they built and the way they curated their 45,000 square foot perishables-driven market was something special. From that perspective, it’s going to be sad to see another independent retailer exit the business. But it’s likely the best scenario for both parties, whom I admire and respect.
Mike Rothwell summarized the process leading up to the sale: “My father, Larry Rothwell, purchased the market in September 1981. Through his vision and leadership, PQM grew into a trusted and well-respected business in our community. That success has been driven by the dedication of our PQM family of employees, past and present, and the loyalty of our customers. As we considered the future of the business, it was important to find a partner who shares our values and commitment to excellence. McCaffrey’s is a natural fit. We have known Jim McCaffrey Ill and Jim McCaffrey IV for many years, and we have great respect for their organization and the way they serve their customers and communities.”
Jim McCaffrey IV added: “We are honored to welcome Pennington Quality Market into the McCaffrey’s family. PQM has built an outstanding reputation, and we look forward to building on that strong foundation. Our goal is to continue delivering the high-quality products, service, and community focus that customers have come to expect.”
As for the timeline going forward, the deal is expected to close by the end of June and the store will remain open as McCaffrey’s begins a store remodel once it takes possession.
‘Round The Trade
Walmart has confirmed that it has eliminated about 1,000 jobs as it places greater focus on AI development. According to an internal memo written by Suresh Kumar, chief technology and development officer, and Daniel Denker, executive VP-AI acceleration product and design, the changes are being made “to simplify how the work is organized, make ownership clearer, and better align roles to the work and skills we need going forward. In some cases, we’ve had different teams working on similar problems,” they said in the memo. The memo also noted that Walmart had moved from organizing separately for Walmart U.S., Sam’s Club, and its international markets to building in a unified way on a single, shared platform over the past year, according to the memo. As for AI, you can love, hate or fear it, but know it’s never going to go away.
Local Notes
Lou Scaduto, owner of three Foodtown stores near the Jersey Shore, has stepped down as the chairman and CEO of Allegiance Retail Services’ board, effective immediately. He is being replaced by Jason Ferreira, a current Allegiance board member and operator of three Foodtown stores in Queens. Jason’s one of the real good guys in our industry; not only is he a talented merchant, but his tireless philanthropic efforts – particularly for the Foundation for Fighting Blindness – are especially noteworthy. As for “Captain Lou,” he and his brother Phil have been excellent operators and important community members for many years but there are changes in the offing regarding the status of their stores. On May 23, the Scadutos closed their Red Bank, NJ store after 50 years. Lou Scaduto said, “Over the last decade the supermarket landscape has changed and competition has been fierce. Our family-owned business found it difficult to remain competitive among an emerging shift towards corporate and foreign-owned supermarket models.” As for the Scadutos’ two other stores in Atlantic Highlands and Wall Township, they will remain open despite challenging service level issues which Lou Scaduto acknowledged were due to a “dispute with our primary grocery supplier that we are actively trying to work through.”
Update on what might potentially be the world’s worst run supermarkets in American history. Last month, I criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s choice of East Harlem as the Manhattan location for one of five planned city-run supermarkets (one in each borough). But before the La Marqueta location opens, the first urban market subsidized by NYC’s taxpayers will debut in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx by the end of the year. The exact location of the 20,000 square foot supermarket will be at The Peninsula, a mixed-use housing development that was the former home of the Spofford Juvenile Detention facility. Be it in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island, I predict this idea is horribly flawed on several levels and doomed to fail.
And while New York City officials feel it is necessary for tax exempt publicly-backed enterprises to compete against existing supermarkets (who pay lotsa taxes and other fees), those same officials believe that it’s important to legislate against surveillance/dynamic pricing. They fear that the introduction of electronic shelf labels (ESLs), will create an opportunity for retailers to cheat consumers by changing prices more than once a day. Earlier this month, the Big Apple’s City Council introduced two bills that would ban surveillance pricing. New York State Attorney General “Litigatin’” Letitia James supports the initiative. Last month, my home state, Maryland, passed the first anti-dynamic pricing law in the U.S., and other states including New Jersey are now considering similar statutes.
Whole Foods’ Daily Shop is coming to Philadelphia (and Boston and Chicago). The convenience-oriented small-format stores will be cutting ribbons on South Street in Philly, Harbor Way in Bah-ston and on N. Ashland Avenue in the Windy City. No specific opening timetable was announced other than all three units will debut by 2028.
The upcoming retirements/departures of Ahold Delhaize’s three top executives recently – Muller, Fleeman and Sarrailh – well, it seems they aren’t the only company executives who will be leaving. At Ahold Delhaize USA, Geoff Waldau, executive VP-merchandising at Food Lion, will be retiring on June 6. Waldau has been with the company for nearly 39 years (he came from the Delhaize America branch), including a stint at the now defunct Kash n’ Karry/Sweetbay banners. He’ll be replaced by Gene Faller, currently senior VP-center store management for the Salisbury, NC-based brand. Faller first joined Food Lion in 1988 and also did a hitch with sister merchant Bottom Dollar Food (may it also Rest In Peace). At AD Retail Media, Bernadette “Bernie” Van Osdal, VP-sales, will be retiring on July 31 after three years with the company’s newest unit. Before joining AD Retail Media, Van Osdal enjoyed a long career in advertising and retail media.
From the obit desk comes news of the death of Ted Turner, 87, one of the craziest and most brilliant entrepreneurs of the past 60 years. Actually, there were several Ted Turners: one who was a crude, irreverent often alcohol-fueled womanizer; one who was a successful sportsman and adventurer (he won the America’s Cup yacht race); and one who created a cable network (CNN) that would forever change how TV news was broadcast. In later years, Turner had mellowed and sought to help others who were in need.
In describing his post business career, The New York Times said: “Turner seemed more enthusiastic about charitable and environmental causes than business. In 1986, he delved back into the sports world, creating the Goodwill Games, athletic competitions among nations that were originally intended to ease Cold War tensions. A charitable effort, it disbanded after 15 years and five international events. By 1996, he had amassed nearly 1.3 million acres of ranch land, roughly enough to fill the state of Delaware, on eight ranches in Montana, New Mexico and Nebraska. His herd of 12,000 buffalo was one of the largest in the nation. And he announced that his land would be kept undeveloped and later set aside for nature preserves.
He started renewable energy ventures; opened a chain of restaurants that serve bison, Ted’s Montana Grill, in an effort to create a market for the meat and therefore preserve the animal from extinction; and founded what is now Ted Turner Reserves, offering guided ‘eco-conscious’ tours and luxury lodging at vast properties in New Mexico. He also became a major philanthropist, creating foundations devoted to protecting the environment, supporting the United Nations and reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. A $1 billion donation to the U.N. in 1997, dispensed over 10 years, was aimed at aiding refugees and children, clearing land mines and fighting disease.
With typical brashness, Turner said the billion-dollar donation represented just the increase in his net worth in the previous nine months, and he called on other wealthy businesspeople to follow his philanthropic example. ‘There’s a lot of people who are awash in money they don’t know what to do with,’ Turner said in a CNN interview with Larry King after the announcement. ‘It doesn’t do you any good if you don’t know what to do with it. I have learned the more good that I did, the more money comes in. You have to learn to give. You’re not born as a giver. You’re born selfish.’”
Famous author Malcolm Gladwell accurately summarized Turner’s complex life this way: “Turner didn’t listen. He was Captain Courageous, the man with nerves of steel who went on to win the America’s Cup, take on the networks, marry a movie star, and become a billionaire. He dressed like a cowboy. He gave the impression of signing contracts without looking at them. He was a drinker, a yeller, a man of unstoppable urges and impulses, the embodiment of the entrepreneur as risk-taker. He bought the station, and so began one of the great broadcasting empires of the 20th century.” All true and despite his flaws, Ted Turner was a great American.
A person linked with Turner has also passed away. Bobby Cox, 84, the great manager who led the Atlanta Braves (owned by Turner) to 14 consecutive division championships, five National League pennants and a World Series win in 1995, was one of the best baseball managers of all time. In 29 seasons managing the Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays, Cox amassed 2,504 wins (fourth most all-time). He also served a general manager of the Braves from 1985 to 1990. During that tenure, he drafted third baseman Chipper Jones, pitcher Tom Glavine (both Hall of Famers) and traded for pitcher John Smoltz, another Hall of Fame player. He then returned to bench duties and led the Braves to their unprecedented run of success. In 2014, Cox, too, was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame.
A journeyman player who became a great skipper, Bobby Cox also set a record that will likely never be broken – he was ejected from 162 games during his career. That’s the equivalent of one full baseball season. Despite his fiery temperament, Cox was greatly admired by his peers and competitors for the manner in which he would defend his players.
As former MLB umpire “Balkin” Bob Davidson said of Cox, “If I was a ballplayer, I’d want to play for Bobby Cox.”
Continuing my quest to highlight musicians who recently passed away and were great at their craft but sadly were underrated or unsung during their careers, I note the death of the great R&B singer Clarence Carter, who left us earlier this month at the age of 90. Carter, who was the son of sharecroppers and was born blind in Montgomery, AL, learned how play guitar as a child and later attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, where he learned to transcribe musical arrangements in Braille. Carter’s deep baritone voice and soulful delivery made you take notice of his talent and with hits like “Slip Away” (1968) and “Patches” (1970), he became a star. And then there was his ribald side, penning such underground hits as “Back Door Santa” (1968) and “Strokin’” (1986). A truly gifted musician, Clarence Carter’s raw talent made you pay attention to his voice and lyrics.
