Red Owl (retail chain)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Grocery store |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Headquarters | Hopkins, Minnesota , United States |
| Products | Groceries |
| Owner | Private investment group (original), Gamble-Skogmo (from 1968), Supervalu Inc. (from 1988) |
Red Owl was a grocery store chain based in the United States, with its headquarters located in Hopkins, Minnesota. Established in 1922, the company was originally owned by a private investment group affiliated with General Mills before being purchased by Gamble-Skogmo in 1968.
History
Initially, Red Owl started out as a coal business during the 1920s.
The chain’s inaugural store launched in Rochester, Minnesota, and it expanded throughout the Upper Midwest, reaching cities such as Bismarck, North Dakota by 1927. Red Owl briefly operated stores in the Chicago area starting in late 1959 but divested these locations to the National Tea Company in 1963. Following Gamble-Skogmo’s acquisition by Wickes Corporation in 1980, Red Owl was sold to a group of three executives in January 1986. At that point, the company managed 441 outlets spanning Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakotas.
In December 1988, grocery wholesaler Supervalu Inc. purchased the rights to the Red Owl brand name along with its warehousing and distribution facilities, subsequently phasing out the brand over time.
During the 1960s, Red Owl also owned several radio stations, including KRSI, WEBC, and WNAX.
Masons Red Owl
Masons Red Owl was established on February 1, 1969, as the first franchised Red Owl location in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Founders Mervin and Jared Mason expanded their operations in 1972 by opening a second franchise in De Pere, Wisconsin, under the corporate name MEJ Corporation.
Due to growing competition from chains such as Cub Foods and Copps Food Center by 1985, the De Pere store was sold to concentrate on the original Green Bay location. In 1988, SuperValu Corporation took over Red Owl’s Green Bay warehouse and became the supplier for Masons Red Owl.
The store introduced a full-service deli department in 1989 and remains one of the smallest full-service grocery stores in its market as of 2023. Locally, Masons Red Owl competes against Woodman's, Wal-Mart, Aldi, and Festival Foods.
Red Owl Family Center
During the late 1960s through the early 1970s, Red Owl introduced a limited series of Family Centers, modeled closely after Grand Union’s Grand Way outlets.