Sponsored By

Schnucks to acquire Missouri grocer Fricks Market

One location to be replaced by new Schnucks Fresh format

Russell Redman

September 26, 2022

4 Min Read
Fricks Market store-Union MO.png
Plans call for the Fricks Market store in Union, Mo. (shown above), to be converted to a Schnucks supermarket and the Fricks location in Sullivan, Mo., to operate until a new Schnucks Fresh store is completed nearby.Fricks Market

Schnuck Markets plans to buy independent grocer Fricks Market and transition one of its two Missouri stores to the recently launched Schnucks Fresh format.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. St. Louis-based Schnucks said Monday that it announced its intent to acquire Fricks Market’s two stores, owned by Jennifer and Darren Newbanks, at 401 Central Avenue in Union and at 45 North Clark Street in Sullivan, Mo.

Plans call for the Fricks Market in Sullivan to close at 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 for remerchandising and then reopen at 7 a.m. on Oct. 27, maintaining the Fricks banner but operated by Schnucks. That location eventually will be replaced by a new 23,000-square-foot Schnucks Fresh store being built on East Springfield Road near Highway 185. Schnucks said it will announce an official opening date for the store in the coming months.

Fricks Market-meat display.jpgFricks Market has built a loyal local following with a strong offering of fresh and prepared foods. (Photo courtesy of Fricks Market)

Meanwhile, the Fricks Market in Union will close and reopen during the same time frame as it gets converted to a Schnuck Market location. Both stores will operate 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

“We’re thrilled to be able to continue our mission to nourish people’s lives in both Union and Sullivan,” Chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck said in a statement. “I know Jennifer and Darren Newbanks have remained committed to strengthening their communities through their decades of ownership. We’re excited to build upon their strong customer relationships as we provide our signature assortment of fresh produce, bakery, meat, seafood and deli options, along with our award-winning Schnucks brand portfolio of products.”

Related:Schnuck Markets opens new Schnucks Express format

Schnucks said its human resources team will reach out to extend employment offers to Fricks Markets’ 66 employees at both stores. The two locations will retain union representation, and union leaders have worked with Schnucks to facilitate the ownership transition, the retailer added.

Fricks Market was founded in 1927, when Owen Frick and his brother opened a store in Union, Mo., called Fricks Brothers Sanitary Meat Market. During the 1930s, the grocery store moved to another location in Union and its name was changed to Fricks Market. The store moved again in 1957, to 10 East Locust, and then in 2014 shifted to its current site at 401 Central Ave. Fricks Market said the Sullivan store was built on its present location in 1960, after a fire that consumed the Kroger supermarket previously occupying the space, and over the years its name changed from Bi-Rite to Central Apple Market to Central Fricks Market. The grocer its known for its fresh foods and meal offerings.

Related:New Schnucks Fresh format debuts in Indiana

“We know Schnucks will continue to serve Union and Sullivan customers with access to high quality, nutritional foods as we have done since 1960,” commented Jennifer Newbanks, president of Fricks Market. “As our family moves on to the next chapter, we are grateful for the employees who have worked with us as well as the customers who have shopped with us over the years. We’re confident Schnucks — another family-owned grocery company with strong core values — is the right fit to continue supporting families in our communities.”

In August 2021, Schnuck Markets debuted its first Schnucks Fresh grocery store in Jasper, Ind. The 18,000-square-foot store, taking the space of a former Cash Saver location, sports a smaller-format design and focuses on fresh departments, including produce, meat, seafood and bakery. 

Experimenting with different store concepts isn’t unusual for Schnucks. Last month, the grocer opened Schnucks Express, a convenience-focused outlet connected to its innovative EatWell natural food store format in Columbia, Mo.

At 11,000 square feet, Schnucks Express has its own entrance and is stocked to bring shoppers “a complete grocery experience” by offering staple products and customer favorites from traditional Schnucks supermarkets. “EatWell, a Natural Food Store, by Schnucks” opened in June 2020 in a space formerly occupied by a Lucky’s Market supermarket. The 42,000-square-foot EatWell store targets customers prioritizing health and wellness, natural and organic foods, and “the occasional splurge,” serving up a mix of better-for-you and locally sourced products plus an array of prepared foods and beverages that customers can take home or enjoy on-site. And in November 2020, Schnucks rebannered and upgraded its ground-breaking “Culinaria” store in downtown St. Louis as “Schnucks Downtown.”

Overall, Schnuck Markets operates operates 112 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like