Pick-N-Pay Supermarkets
| File:Pick n Pay Stores Logo.png | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Fate | Purchased by Ahold |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Products | Grocery |
| Parent | Ahold |
Pick-N-Pay Supermarkets was a grocery store chain serving the Greater Cleveland, Ohio region. The enterprise began in 1928 when Edward Silverberg launched a modest dairy store in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He expanded this initial venture into a series of outlets named Farmview Creamery Stores. By 1938, Silverberg inaugurated a supermarket on E. 185th Street, branding it Pick-N-Pay. Two years later, in 1940, he rebranded all his stores under the Pick-N-Pay Supermarkets name. The chain grew to encompass ten locations before Silverberg sold the business to Cook Coffee Company in 1951 (which became Cook United, Inc. by 1969). Under Cook Coffee's stewardship, the chain expanded further, notably acquiring Foodtown supermarkets in 1959. In 1972, ownership transferred to a consortium of private investors led by Julius Kravitz—formerly head of Foodtown—who maintained the Pick-N-Pay brand for the independent company. Key rivals within the Greater Cleveland grocery market included the Fisher-Fazio-Costa, Stop-N-Shop, and Heinen's chains.
At its peak, Pick-N-Pay attracted customers with a focus on premium-quality meats and fresh produce. Additionally, the stores participated in the Eagle Stamp (green stamps) loyalty program sponsored by Cleveland's May Company. Customers earned stamps based on their total purchase amount during checkout; these stamps were collected in booklets and could be redeemed for $3 vouchers at local May Company stores once completed.
Pick-N-Pay employees operated under union agreements, consistent with most major grocers in the Cleveland area. During Cook United’s ownership, Pick-N-Pay locations were frequently situated alongside Cook’s and Uncle Bill’s discount department stores, both of which were owned by Cook United.
In 1978, Pick-N-Pay acquired First National Stores based in Boston, Massachusetts, prompting a corporate name change to First National Supermarkets, Inc., with headquarters relocated to Maple Heights, Ohio. While expansion remained a strategic objective, these plans were disrupted following the tragic murder of Julius Kravitz in 1979 during an unsuccessful kidnapping-for-ransom incident. Subsequently, the entire chain—including Pick-N-Pay, Edwards Food Warehouse (the company’s no-frills discount grocery brand), and Finast stores—was acquired by Koninklijke Ahold N.V., a Dutch retail conglomerate.