WASHINGTON - The 18 largest grocery co-ops in the country recorded a 10% increase in revenues in 2005, according to the National Cooperative Bank's annual list of the 100 largest co-ops that was released last week.
the co-ops or their members were 10 years ago," said Barry Silver, managing director, NCB.
He said the fact that grocery co-ops continue to expand their top lines is an indication that they are having some success against Wal-Mart supercenters. He also said the growth last year was especially significant, given that food inflation has been relatively low.
Wakefern Corp., Elizabeth, N.J., topped the list with $7.24 billion in sales; followed by Topco Associates, Skokie, Ill., with $5.6 billion; and Associated Wholesale Grocers, Kansas City, Kan., with $4.9 billion.
A handful of cooperative wholesalers saw double-digit growth in the past year, including Associated Grocers of Seattle, up 26.8%, which picked up the Haggen chain; and Associated Grocers of Baton Rouge, up 11.6%, which saw sales rise in areas where victims of Hurricane Katrina relocated.
Topco Associates, the retailer-owned private-label company, reported sales growth of 12%.
Silver noted that Wakefern, parent of the ShopRite banner in the Northeast, benefited from the growth of its price-impact PriceRite format. Wakefern's sales were up 1.7% over year-ago levels, according to the NCB report.
Wakefern ranked No. 4 on the list of the largest U.S. co-ops overall, behind three agriculture companies: CHS Inc., Dairy Farmers of America and Land O'Lakes.
NCB is developing a list of the Top 300 co-ops globally, which Silver said will include many U.S. grocers.
LARGEST AMERICAN GROCERY COOPERATIVES
Company, Headquarters; President/CEO; Revenue 2005; Revenue 2004; % Change
1) Wakefern Food Corp., Elizabeth, N.J.; Dean Janeway; $7,239; $7,116; 1.7%
2) Topco Associates*, Skokie, Ill.; Steven K. Lauer; $5,600; $5,000; 12%
3) Assoc. Wholesale Grocers, Kansas City, Kan.; Gary Phillips; $4,918; $4,5747.5%
4) Unified Western Grocers, Los Angeles; Alfred A. Plamann; $2,867; $3,040; -5.7%
5) Associated Food Stores, Salt Lake City; Richard A. Parkinson; $1,393; $1,372; 1.5%
6) Associated Wholesalers Inc., Robesonia, Pa.; J. Christopher Michael; $1,136; $1,088; 4.4%
7) Affiliated Foods Inc., Amarillo, Texas; George Lankford; $1,133; $1,082; 4.7%
8) Central Grocers Co-op, Franklin Park, Ill.:; Joseph Caccamo; $1,103; $1,048; 5.2%
9) Associated Grocers Inc., Seattle; John S. Runyan; $1,031; $813; 26.8%
10) Affiliated Foods Midwest, Norfolk, Neb.; Martin Arter; $1,015; $995; 2.0%
11) Urm Stores, Spokane, Wash.; Dean Sonnenberg; $756; $726; 4.1%
12) Piggly Wiggly Alabama, Bessemer, Ala.; Dennis T. Stewart; $665; $687; -3.2%
13) Affiliated Foods Southwest, Little Rock, Ark.; John R. Mills; $652; $695; -6.2%
14) Western Family Holding Co.*, Portland, Ore.; Ronald King; $642; $620; 3.5%
15) Associated Grocers Inc., Baton Rouge, La.; J.H. Campbell Jr.; $636; $570; 11.6%
16) Associated Grocers of Florida, Miami; Calvin J. Miller; $588; $573; 2.6%
17) Key Food Stores, New York; Richard Pallito; $429; $436; -1.6%
18) Assoc. Grocers of the South, Birmingham, Ala.; Gerry Totoritis; $362; $359; 0.8%
Ranked by revenue in millions for each company's fiscal year.
*Private-label co-op
Source: National Cooperative Bank, Washington. Includes only grocery co-ops that rank among the NCB list of the 100 largest U.S. co-ops of any type.
