C&S Wholesale Grocers

C&S Wholesale Grocers, LLC

Company type	Private
Industry	Wholesale distribution, Grocery
Founded	1918 (1918) in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Founder	Israel Cohen, Abraham Siegel
Headquarters	Keene, New Hampshire , United States
Area served	United States (Midwest, South, Northeast)
Key people	Rick Cohen (President and CEO)
Products	Grocery products (including fresh produce, meats, dairy, deli, bakery goods, health and beauty products, confectionery, tobacco), private label products (Best Yet)
Website	www.cswg.com

C&S Wholesale Grocers, LLC is a nationwide wholesale distributor of grocery products headquartered in Keene, New Hampshire. In 2021, it was recognized by Forbes as the eighth-largest privately owned company in the United States. C&S manages corporate grocery locations and supports independent franchise operators through a chain-style framework across the Midwest, South, and Northeast regions. The company holds ownership of the Piggly Wiggly and Grand Union supermarket brands, along with private label lines such as Best Yet.

By 2023, C&S supplied over 7,500 independent grocery stores, chains, military installations, and institutional clients with a catalog exceeding 100,000 items including fresh produce, meats, dairy products, deli selections, bakery goods, health and beauty products, confectionery, and tobacco.

Its portfolio of services encompasses wholesale purchasing, category management, pricing strategies, marketing initiatives, advertising campaigns, merchandising support, business and accounting assistance, store layout design, and engineering solutions. Prominent clients include Giant-Carlisle, Giant-Landover, Safeway Inc., Southeastern Grocers, Target Corporation, as well as numerous independent supermarket operators.

Wholesale operations

Established in 1918 by Israel Cohen and Abraham Siegel in Worcester, Massachusetts, C&S began as a modest grocery distribution hub. Following a flood in 1929, the company moved to a larger location on Hygeia Street. During the 1940s, C&S improved its distribution capabilities by introducing innovations such as a warehouse "roller system" and combining the roles of driver and salesman to reduce delivery expenses.

The business experienced substantial growth in 1958 when it began serving the Big D supermarket chain in Worcester. In the 1970s, Rick Cohen—the grandson of one founder—joined the firm and supervised the development of a 300,000 square-foot warehouse in Brattleboro, Vermont, which allowed servicing chains like A&P.

Rick Cohen assumed the roles of president and CEO in 1987. He tackled operational difficulties related to escalating costs and quality control by implementing self-managed teams in 1988 to enhance productivity and customer service.

In 2013, C&S formed a partnership with BI-LO to handle warehousing and procurement for Winn-Dixie stores across six distribution centers throughout the U.S. Southeast. The following year saw C&S acquire nearly all assets of Associated Wholesalers Inc (AWI) and also purchase Houston-based Grocers Supply. Expansion continued in 2015 with the acquisition of FreshKO Produce Services, Inc., located in California.

Certain C&S distribution centers incorporate automated storage and retrieval technologies provided by Symbotic, LLC—an American robotics automation company also owned by Rick Cohen—boosting operational efficiency.

Grand Union

C&S entered the retail market in 2001 by acquiring the Grand Union supermarket chain after being its largest unsecured creditor during bankruptcy proceedings and submitting a stalking horse bid. The chain was later sold to Tops Markets in 2012. Following Tops’ merger with Price Chopper in 2021 and subsequent FTC requirements, C&S agreed to acquire twelve Tops locations across New York and Vermont. These stores were scheduled to reopen under a new banner in early 2022.

Southern Family Markets

The Southern Family Markets brand was introduced in 2005 following C&S's acquisition of 104 stores formerly operated by BI-LO, which included locations under the BI-LO, Bruno's Supermarkets, Food World, FoodMax, and Food Fair banners. Prior to rebranding, eight stores situated in Knoxville, Tennessee, were divested to K-Va-T Food Stores.

In July 2012, C&S divested all 57 Southern Family outlets across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida to Belle Foods. Despite the sale, C&S continued serving as Belle’s main distributor until Belle Foods entered liquidation in September 2013. Subsequently, Associated Wholesale Grocers acquired Belle Foods.

Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co.

In October 2014, C&S purchased the operations of Piggly Wiggly Carolina Co.—including its branding, marketing efforts, store support services, accounting, and IT infrastructure—for $9.3 million. The company transferred ownership of its 20 corporately held stores to independent operators. By August 2015, only two stores remained under corporate ownership while 46 were independently owned.

Nell's

C&S expanded its portfolio in 2014 by acquiring Associated Wholesalers (AWI), which managed the Nell's grocery chain consisting of four locations at that time. Following the acquisition, three stores were sold off, with one store continuing operations in Spry, Pennsylvania.

Olean Wholesale Grocery

At the end of 2019, C&S completed the acquisition of Olean Wholesale Grocery, a cooperative serving grocery retailers in upstate New York and Pennsylvania. Soon after finalizing the purchase, C&S announced intentions to shut down the facility.

Potential Kroger/Albertsons Store Acquisition

On September 8, 2023, C&S reached an agreement to acquire 413 retail stores under various banners, along with eight distribution centers, two regional offices, and five private label brands spanning 17 states and Washington D.C., connected to the Kroger-Albertsons merger proposed in October 2022. This transaction awaited approval from the Federal Trade Commission and had the potential to expand by an additional 237 stores to meet regulatory conditions. However, following a federal judge’s preliminary injunction issued on December 10, 2024 that blocked the merger, Albertsons terminated the deal, effectively canceling the acquisition.

Investment in Southeastern Grocers and Winn-Dixie/Harveys Stores

On February 7, 2025, Aldi Süd announced plans to sell approximately 170 of the roughly 400 stores it acquired from Southeastern Grocers—the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harvey’s—along with the company itself to a private investor group led by CEO Anthony Hucker that includes C&S as an investor. This agreement also encompasses Winn-Dixie liquor outlets. Aldi intends to convert around 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys locations into Aldi-format stores through a phased process concluding in 2027. Southeastern Grocers will maintain operations of stores scheduled for conversion until they close for transition.

SpartanNash Acquisition

In June 2025, C&S declared a $1.77 billion offer to acquire SpartanNash grocery chain. The transaction is anticipated to finalize by late 2025 pending regulatory clearance.

Litigation

In January 2009, federal lawsuits filed in Wisconsin and New Hampshire accused C&S and SuperValu of conspiring to divide markets and suppress competition. In 2018, a federal jury found C&S not guilty of these antitrust allegations.