Shoppers will notice changes over the next few months at some of their local supermarkets in Cedar Grove, Colonia, North Haledon and the Township of Washington, NJ.
The Maniaci family and its Nicholas Markets company, which currently operates four Foodtown stores in those New Jersey towns, will transition its stores to The Fresh Grocer brand starting in February. The Fresh Grocer is a registered trademark of the retailer-owned cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. and an accomplished supermarket chain specializing in high quality, fresh prepared foods and meeting the needs, tastes and traditions of the communities in which the stores are located.
“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, current president and chief executive officer 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.”
The Maniaci Family announced last October that it had joined retailer-owned cooperative Wakefern Food Corp. The move made the Maniaci family and its company, Nicholas Markets, the 51st member of the supermarket cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ.
The rebranded stores in Cedar Grove, Colonia, North Haledon and the Township of Washington will continue to offer restaurant-quality take home meals with best in market pricing, and a wide variety of high-quality fresh foods at low prices. Customers will also notice new advertising circulars with special deals for The Fresh Grocer stores, and Instacart, the on-demand and online grocery delivery service, will also be available to customers.
The new Fresh Grocer locations will also offer several new Wakefern Own Brand products including the popular Bowl & Basket and Paperbird lines. Bowl & Basket foods pair thoughtfully selected ingredients at a budget friendly price. Paperbird offers a new line of effective and beautifully designed household products. Shoppers will also be able to purchase Wakefern’s award-winning Wholesome Pantry brands, which include the Wholesome Pantry Organic line as well as a range of products free from 110 ingredients and artificial additives and preservatives.
Nicholas Markets 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, NJ. The family’s addition to Wakefern Food Corp. was a natural fit given Wakefern’s history as a cooperative made up of many family-owned independent grocers.
The Fresh Grocer joined Wakefern in 2013 and by spring 2020, 12 family-owned The Fresh Grocer stores will be operating in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
