Work ‘n Gear works hard to help its customers dress for success.
By Kat Zeman, Knighthouse Media
With roughly 40 brick-and-mortar locations throughout the United States, Work ‘n Gear is the largest U.S. retailer specializing in work and healthcare apparel and footwear.
“But at heart, we’re still your neighborhood store,” says Tony DiPaolo, owner and CEO. “We pride ourselves on our personal relationships with our local and regional customers.”
WowWee focuses on continued innovation using state-of-the-art technology
that allows for deeper interactive experiences through play.
Family owned and managed HomeTown Pharmacy is growing its number of locations with a variety of services including specialty prescriptions.
By Russ Gager
In retailing as in wrestling, sometimes you have to get bigger to defend yourself. This was the case for Fred Grice Jr. and his brother Tim, who as small-town pharmacists enjoyed helping people they knew. “The reason that my dad and Uncle Tim formed HomeTown Pharmacy in 1996 was the realization that they didn’t believe they could compete in the future without building more critical mass, to have more buying power with vendors,” says Vice President Jim Grice, son and nephew of the founders. “Our growth has definitely been something we enjoy doing. We like growing our employee base and the communities we serve, but it’s just as much about survival to continue to be a viable player.”
HomeTown Pharmacy has 39 retail locations in Michigan and Indiana, as well as four long-term-care pharmacies, two durable medical equipment centers and four compounding labs. The company has been expanding mainly through acquisitions of existing pharmacies that are looking for those economies of scale or for a company that can relieve them of the healthcare industry’s ever-increasing administrative load.
McCall Farms has achieved market leadership positions with its brands and national distribution
because it stays authentic to true Southern tastes.
By Staci Davidson, Knighthouse Media
One traveling through the United States can find many regional delicacies, but the Southern states are really known for hitting it out of the park with how they prepare vegetables and legumes. Hoppin’ John, succotash and boiled peanuts are just some of the staples found for family nourishment and enjoyment in the South, and they are just a few examples of the products McCall Farms provides. As a Southern staple itself since 1838, McCall Farms knows how to deliver high-quality products cherished by consumers in the region and beyond.
Pump N Pantry serves up nothing but the best in food and beverages for its communities in rural Pennsylvania. (Photo Credit: Skylar Robinson) By Janice Hoppe-Spiers
As more convenience stores step up their foodservice game, Pump N Pantry says it has been ahead of the curve and “doing it right” for a long time. Known as the hometown store in 15 communities throughout northeastern Pennsylvania, Pump N Pantry considers itself a restaurant that also sells gas.
“Our slogan is, ‘Good Food. Need We Say More?’” says Wade Robinson, foodservice supervisor and digital marketing manager. “In the areas we serve, we are known as the go-to pizza and sub shop because we bake our own bread and make our pizzas and subs right in front of the customer.”
T.A. Solberg has created its Trig’s stores and other businesses to serve their communities
in a personal and committed way.
The Northwoods of Wisconsin may seem like a remote area to many, but to those who live in and visit the region, it is known for its beautiful scenery, diverse wildlife and range of outdoor activities, such as fishing, hiking, camping, canoeing, biking, snowmobiling and skiing. The area has more than 3,200 lakes, streams and rivers, as well as more than 500,000 acres of public forests, and exploring all of that can make a person hungry. Luckily, the region is home to T.A. Solberg Co. Inc. and its brand of Trig’s grocery stores and associated businesses.
TOPS Friendly Markets has served the Northeast for generations with supermarkets centered around customer service.
By Chris Petersen
For generations, TOPS Friendly Markets has been the local favorite throughout upstate New York and the surrounding area, and chairman and CEO Frank Curci says the company is committed to holding onto that position for many years to come. “As a New York state-owned and operated company, our vision is to be your friendly neighborhood store that has what you want while saving you time and money,” Curci says.
Keeping the promises it makes to its customers each and every day is paramount for TOPS and crucial for its continued success, and that has been the status quo for the company ever since before the first modern TOPS supermarket opened in 1962 in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The company’s roots date back even further, to the early 1920s when Ferrante Castellani moved his family to Niagara Falls from a small village in Italy. In Niagara Falls, Castellani opened his first grocery store, and his sons Armand and Alfred soon opened two more under the same name of Great Bear Market.
Nittany MinitMart convenience stores is remodeling its stores
and launching new programs to retain employees.
By Kat Zeman
The retail and food service industries are prone to one of the highest turnover rates in any industry. It could be a combination of seasonal employees, a young workforce that is still in school and historically lower wages.
But Nittany MinitMart, a chain of 26 convenience stores in central Pennsylvania, believes that one of the keys to employee retention is boosting morale through encouragement, recognition and rewards.
Retail Merchandiser Magazine
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