Red Food
| File:Logo Red Food.PNG | |
| Industry | Retail (Grocery) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Merged into BI-LO |
| Headquarters | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
Red Food Stores, Inc.—commonly known as Red Food—was a supermarket enterprise based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its retail outlets primarily served regions in northwest Georgia, northeast Alabama, and southeast Tennessee. The chain operated approximately 55 locations across these three states.[1] Recognized as a longstanding emblem in Chattanooga's commercial history, Red Food held a significant place in the local community.[2]
History
Founded by Frank McDonald in 1908,[3] Red Food introduced turkeys at forty-five cents per pound during World War II for Thanksgiving, also encouraging customers to "invite a soldier and serve turkey this Thanksgiving."[3] In 1979, the French food distribution company Promodès, headquartered in Caen, made an offer to acquire Red Food Stores, Inc.[4] The bid was valued at $23 million (~$Template:Format price adjusted for inflation). By the following year, the acquisition was finalized[5] for $36 million (~$Template:Format price inflation-adjusted), granting Promodès ownership of 34 supermarkets across Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.[4] To support its expansion plans involving an investment exceeding Ffr 2 billion between 1979 and 1984, Promodès went public in 1979.
A new store location opened in Chattanooga in 1984.[6] By 1988, the chain's revenue reached $600 million, representing about 30% of Promodès' total consolidated sales.[4]
In April 1989, an attempted acquisition by Red Food of seven Kroger Co. supermarkets within Chattanooga was blocked shortly before completion by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC determined that this transaction would significantly reduce market competition—a decision that came as a surprise.[7] Following this, the FTC filed a formal complaint challenging Red Food's $6.5 million acquisition of all seven Kroger stores in Chattanooga after a federal appeals court declined its request for an injunction to prevent the deal.[8]
In 1994, Red Food Stores, Inc. was acquired by Ahold for $129 million; subsequently, the stores were rebranded as Ahold’s BI-LO outlets by 1995.[1][9] Integrating Red Food stores posed challenges due to their obsolete computer infrastructure; however, the acquisition contributed positively to Ahold’s annual earnings.[10]
In July 2015, Southeastern Grocers, then owner of BI-LO, revealed plans to sell its portfolio of 21 BI-LO locations in Chattanooga along with eight stores in northern Georgia to K-VA-T Food Stores. These outlets were slated for conversion under the Food City brand, effectively ending BI-LO’s footprint within Tennessee.[11]
Logos
Red Food Stores, Inc.'s initial logo closely resembled the second version shown in this article, but featured a rooster positioned centrally. The final emblem adopted was a solid red design, characterized by minimal or no curvature on the interior and exterior edges of the lettering. This design appeared one year prior to the company's acquisition by Ahold.[12]
References
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ahold to Buy U.S. Chain, The New York Times, February 22, 1994
- ↑ Chattanooga Deserves Better Grocery Stores Archived 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, The Chattanoogan, December 5, 2007
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Template:Fix/category[dead link]
- ↑ Ahold in U.S.A., accessed September 10, 2006 Archived August 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).