Associated Supermarkets

Associated Supermarkets
Company type	Private
Industry	Grocery Retail
Founded	1954
Headquarters	Port Washington, New York, New York, United States
Number of locations	250+
Area served	Eastern United States
Key people	Joe Garcia (Co-CEO & Co-President), Zulema Wiscovitch (Co-CEO & Co-President)
Divisions	Associated Supermarkets, Compare Foods, Met Foods, Pioneer Supermarkets
Website	http://shopassociated.com

Associated Foods Holdings, commonly referred to as Associated Supermarkets or Associated Food Stores, represents the largest collective of independently owned grocery stores within the New York metropolitan area. The organization supports a network of roughly 250 independently operated supermarkets primarily located in New York City and its neighboring areas.

Its operational reach extends beyond New York, covering Long Island, Upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Associated functions under the umbrella of the Associated Supermarket Group (ASG), which manages several brands including Associated Fresh, Compare, Compare Fresh, Met Foods, Met Fresh, Metropolitan City Market, and Pioneer.

The company’s strategy focuses on serving multicultural communities through its Associated and Compare brand banners. Each store provides an extensive selection of conventional, ethnic, natural, and organic merchandise alongside its proprietary Avenue A private label, which strengthens its appeal across diverse customer segments.

History

The origins trace back to 1939 when grocers in New York City established a cooperative purchasing alliance named Queens Food Dealers to secure goods at reduced costs. In 1954, founders Harry Laufer, Ira Gober, Sol Chalek, among others, transformed this group into Associated Food Stores (AFS), initially comprising 18 independently owned outlets.

AFS developed a combined warehouse and administrative facility in Jamaica, Queens, facilitating railcar deliveries and expanded inventory storage. The company centralized its meat distribution operations, maintained stock of grocery and dairy products, and introduced private label eggs. While the majority of member stores were traditional neighborhood groceries, expansion efforts led to larger supermarkets opening throughout Long Island and the surrounding tri-state region.

Eric Steinberg took the helm as president and CEO in January 1972 with Chalek serving as chairman. That same year, the company adopted the slogan “The little guy is fighting back” to highlight its competitive stance. By 1975, facing financial challenges, the group filed for bankruptcy to reorganize its debt structure and was subsequently acquired by the Maidenbaum family.

In 2001, Associated along with other grocers withdrew advertising from the New York Daily News following unfavorable cleanliness reports—demonstrating their proactive approach to safeguarding brand reputation. Between 2008 and 2009, two executives at an Associated store were involved in wage theft violations resulting in $1.1 million in restitution payments.

A significant financial restructuring occurred in March 2013 when New York-based AUA Private Equity Partners invested in Associated Food Holdings; founders Laufer and Gober continued their involvement. The following year saw growth through acquisition of the Met Foodmarkets and Pioneer Supermarkets brands. During this period, Associated’s wholesaler arm, Associated Wholesalers, Inc., filed for bankruptcy and was acquired by C&S Wholesale Grocers. Bob A. Sigel succeeded Laufer as president while Associated entered into a supply agreement with C&S but maintained partnerships with suppliers including Porky Products, Nebraskaland, and R-Best Produce.

In 2015, the enterprise rebranded itself as the Associated Supermarket Group (ASG). Joe Garcia assumed the CEO position in January 2018. In 2017, ASG introduced its Avenue A private label line featuring over 500 products to broaden its merchandise offerings.

January 2021 marked a management-led buyout when AUA divested ASG to senior executives Joe Garcia (CEO) and Zulema Wiscovitch (EVP). Both were appointed co-presidents and co-CEOs following this transition—a strategic leadership change aimed at accelerating growth and reinforcing market presence within the grocery cooperative sector.

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