Victory Supermarkets

Victory Super Markets

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Industry	Retail / Grocery
Founded	1923 (1923)
Founder	The DiGeronimo Brothers
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Acquired by Hannaford Bros. Co. (later purchased by Big Y in 2016)
Headquarters	Leominster, Massachusetts
Number of locations	20

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Victory Super Markets was a grocery retail chain headquartered in Leominster, Massachusetts, operating 20 outlets throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Established in 1923 by the DiGeronimo brothers, the name commemorated the American triumph in World War I. Around 1999 and 2000, the company expanded by acquiring four locations formerly operated by Shaw's within the Boston metropolitan area. This family-owned enterprise was sold to Hannaford Brothers Company in 2004 after operating successfully for 81 years. At the time of sale, Victory employed more than 2,600 individuals and generated annual revenues of $385 million. In 2005, its website began redirecting visitors to Hannaford’s online portal.

Origins

After serving in World War I and witnessing America’s victory, Italian-American siblings James and Louis DiGeronimo launched a small neighborhood grocery store in 1923 located in their native Leominster, Massachusetts. This modest market focused primarily on fresh meats and offered home delivery services, a far cry from the larger enterprise it later became. The business was solely managed by the two brothers during its early years.

Establishment of the first supermarket

In 1955, the founders’ sons inaugurated the first full-scale supermarket. Arthur and Jimmy were James’ sons, while Anthony and Joe were Louis’ children. Together, these four men significantly grew the operation over nearly fifty years until its closure. This initial supermarket was situated on North Main Street in Leominster, which would eventually serve as the company’s headquarters.

Third generation leadership

The 1980s saw the entry of the third generation of DiGeronimos into the family business. This group included Arthur’s sons—Arthur Jr., David, Michael, and Steven—and Jimmy’s sons—Jimmy, John, and Robert. Alongside their fathers, these ten family members comprised the DiGeronimo Brothers referenced on Victory’s signage and branding. With this new leadership team in place, Victory underwent substantial expansion across its operations. These descendants assumed responsibility for daily management and spearheaded numerous new store openings while phasing out older locations over the following two decades.

Expansion

In 1996, Victory introduced an innovative expansion model within their grocery outlets known as Market Square. This concept focused heavily on fresh, perishable items and ready-to-eat meals. It featured cafe-style seating arrangements alongside dedicated stations for sandwiches, sushi, and stir-fry dishes. The initial trial of Market Square took place at the Kingston location. After demonstrating positive results there, the concept was extended to stores in Leominster and Derry, New Hampshire. Additionally, Victory acquired Shaw's stores in North Quincy, Norwood, Waltham, and Norwell, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, they discontinued operations at their Maynard and Amherst, Massachusetts sites by 1999 and 2000 respectively.

Store locations

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Victory store locations as of 2004
Amherst, MA (closed in 1999)
Athol, MA
Ayer, MA
Clinton, MA
Dedham, MA (closed in 1991)
Derry, NH
Gardner, MA
Hollis, NH (closed in 1994)
Fitchburg, MA
Hudson, MA
Kingston, MA
Leominster, MA
Marlborough, MA
Maynard, MA (closed in 1999)
Middleborough, MA
Milford, MA (opened in 1999)
North Brookfield, MA
North Quincy, MA (opened in 1999)
Norwell, MA (opened in 1999)
Norwood, MA (opened in 2000)
Pelham, NH
Pittsfield, MA (closed in 1991)
Saugus, MA (closed in 1991)
Townsend, MA
Uxbridge, MA
Waltham, MA (opened in 1999)
Ware, MA (closed in 1991)

Sale of Victory

After operating successfully as a family-owned enterprise for over eight decades, the proprietors of Victory Super Markets opted to sell the business. In September 2004, the company was acquired by the Hannaford Brothers Company—a subsidiary of the Belgian-based Delhaize Group—for $175 million. This transaction transferred ownership of 19 out of Victory’s 20 stores to Hannaford. These locations were subsequently rebranded as Hannaford grocery outlets, expanding their footprint across Eastern and Central Massachusetts. The sole exception was the store in Athol, Massachusetts, which was closed because Hannaford already operated a larger and more modern facility nearby. In the years following its closure, the Athol site came under the ownership of Ocean State Job Lot. Hannaford later shuttered the Ayer store in early 2015; plans were made to reopen it as an independently managed Shop 'n Save supermarket supplied by Hannaford. In July 2016, it was revealed that eight Hannaford stores would be sold to Big Y as part of a corporate merger involving Hannaford’s parent company and Stop & Shop.