A supermarket is a self-serviceshop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more limited in the range of merchandise than a hypermarket or big-box market. In everyday United States usage, however, "grocery store" is often used to mean "supermarket".
The supermarket typically has places for fresh meat, fresh produce, dairy, deli items, baked goods, and similar foodstuffs.
Shelf space is also reserved for canned and packaged goods and for various non-food items such as kitchenware, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. Some supermarkets also sell other household products that are consumed regularly, such as alcohol (where permitted), medicine, and clothing, and some sell a much wider range of non-food products: DVDs, sporting equipment, board games, and seasonal items (e.g., Christmaswrapping paper, Easter eggs, school uniforms, Valentine's Day themed gifts, Mother's Day gifts, Father's Day gifts and Halloween).
A larger full-service supermarket combined with a department store is sometimes known as a hypermarket. Other services may include those of banks, caf�s, childcare centers/creches, insurance (and other financial services), mobile phone sales, photo processing, video rentals, pharmacies, and gas stations. If the eatery in a supermarket is substantial enough, the facility may be called a "grocerant", a portmanteau of "grocery" and "restaurant".
The traditional supermarket occupies a large amount of floor space, usually on a single level. It is usually situated near a residential area in order to be convenient to consumers. The basic appeal is the availability of a broad selection of goods under a single roof, at relatively low prices. Other advantages include ease of parking and frequently the convenience of shopping hours that extend into the evening or even 24 hours of the day. Supermarkets usually allocate large budgets to advertising, typically through newspapers and television. They also present elaborate in-shop displays of products. (Full article...)
Tiendas Comercial Mexicana S.A. de C.V., colloquially known as La Comercial and La Comer, was a Mexican hypermarket group that operated mainly in Mexico City and Central Mexico. It was founded in 1930 and operated by Controladora Comercial Mexicana. From 2016 to 2018 it was owned and operated by Soriana, which also owns Alprecio stores. Comercial Mexicana, including its different store formats, was the third-largest supermarket chain in Mexico as of 2014. (Full article...)
Fakta, a chain of discount stores as of September 2022 superseded by 365discount and was founded in 1981 as Dansk Discount A/S, renamed Fakta in 1982. Six years later, the chain became a part of Coop Danmark. In May 2011, Fakta had 374 stores with around 6,000 employees. They operated stores located at more central urban places, called Fakta Q, which sold food, primarily convenience food. They were replaced by regular Fakta stores with Fakta Q being discontinued in 2017. Fakta's slogan is "Det er Fakta" ("It's a fact" or "It's Fakta"). The old slogan "Det er sund fornuft" ("It's common sense") is still used on Fakta-branded products. In the 21st century their slogan became "det tager kun 5 min" ("it only takes 5 mins"). In 2013, Fakta opened its first two stores in Germany, just south of the Danish border. (Full article...)
There were 134 stores in Hungary in February 2018. (Full article...)
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Foodtown was a New Zealand supermarket chain owned by Progressive Enterprises (now Woolworths New Zealand). As with Woolworths, the Foodtown brand was phased out in the late 2000s, with all stores rebranded as Countdown by the end of 2011. Foodtown supermarkets were typically integrated with a shopping centre; the chain had few stand-alone stores. (Full article...)
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Galaxias (Greek: Γαλαξίας) is a supermarket chain in Greece, established in 1982. Its corporate name is PENTE SA and it is headquartered in Athens. As of 2012, Galaxias has 132 stores, approximately half located in the greater Athens area and half in the rest of the country. Galaxias is the tenth biggest supermarket chain in Greece according to market share. (Full article...)
Dotti is a chain of fashion stores in Australia and New Zealand, selling apparel and accessories. It was acquired by the Just Group in 2004. It markets itself as a fast fashion brand. Their target group is young female adults aged 18 to 28. (Full article...)
The overall size of the sector has been increasing since the end of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, with retail sales increasing by 30% between 1999 and 2005. One contributing factor was the growth of larger stores with greater buying power and economies of scale, at the cost of smaller bricks and mortar merchants. Another contributing factor was low price inflation, with the price of imported goods falling 12% during that period. (Full article...)
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Chemist Warehouse Group (trading as Chemist Warehouse, Chemist Warehouse New Zealand, My Chemist, My Beauty Spot) is an Australian company operating a chain of retail pharmacies both locally and internationally. The company is one of Australia's largest pharmacy retailers with over 500 stores in Australia, and employs over 20,000 staff. The company brands itself as offering discounted prices for pharmaceutical goods.
The company also manages a website and a "click and collect" 24 hour dispense either pick-up and delivery service for medications. (Full article...)
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Arthur Barnett Ltd, trading as Arthur Barnett and often referred to as Arthur Barnett's, was a department store in Dunedin, New Zealand. Established in 1903 by Arthur Barnett the store first began as a drapery for men and boys, progressing over the years to become one of Dunedin's most successful department stores. As well as their flagship George Street store, Arthur Barnett had stores in Balclutha, Alexandra, Oamaru, and Christchurch. They also briefly had a branch in Melbourne which operated from 1970 to 1977. This branch sold mainly carpeting and furniture. The final Arthur Barnett store (on site of its first on George Street in Dunedin) and its online store was taken over by Invercargill-based department store chain H & J Smith in 2015. (Full article...)
Foodland has established itself as an well-known brand in the South Australian retail sector and directly employs over 7,000 staff and indirectly more than 1,500 South Australian staff. There were 96 stores covering South Australia and Broken Hill in 2023. (Full article...)
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Nick Scali Limited is a publicly listed Australian company that imports and retails furniture such as lounge suites, dining tables, coffee tables, chairs, and entertainment units. It was founded in 1962 by Nick D. Scali.
The company specializes in leather and fabric lounges. They sell dining room and bedroom furniture as well. Nick Scali operate multiple showrooms and distribution centres across all states and territories in Australia. In 2017 Nick Scali opened its first showroom in Auckland, New Zealand. (Full article...)
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Boost Juice Bars is an Australian multinational retail outlet owned by parent company Retail Zoo that specialise in fruit juice and smoothies. Boost Juice Bars was formed in 2000 with the first store located in Adelaide, South Australia. The company has expanded internationally with stores in Asia, Europe, South America, and the United Kingdom through franchising. (Full article...)
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Smiggle is an Australian-based retail store chain that sells stationery and related accessories. It was founded in Melbourne by Stephen Meurs and Peter Pausewang in 2003 and acquired by the Just Group in July 2007. As of February 2016, the chain has stores located across Australia (135), New Zealand (23), Singapore (17), United Kingdom (100), Hong Kong (14), Malaysia (22) and the Republic of Ireland (3). Smiggle is renowned for its use of vibrant bold colours and quirky graphics on most of its branded products. (Full article...)
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Lord of the Fries is an Australian and New Zealand casual dining fast food chain, originally based in Melbourne, before expanding into other regions. It serves only vegan dishes including loaded fries, veggie burgers, hot dogs and a number of various sides and breakfast items. Lord of the Fries first started as a vegetarian "mobile chip van" in August 2004 which was driven across the country until late 2005 when the first store location was opened in Melbourne's city centre. Due to the menu consisting entirely of plant-based products, all meals from the chain are Kosher and Halal. The restaurants became 100% vegan in 2018. The founders are vegan as are most of the franchisees.
In 2018, the company announced a partnership with U.S. producer Beyond Meat, with financial backing from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and the former CEO of McDonald's, making them the first Australian restaurant chain to offer their plant-based burger patties. (Full article...)
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Harvey Norman is an Australian multinationalretailer of furniture, bedding, computers, communications and consumer electrical products. It mainly operates as a franchise, with the main brand and all company-operated stores owned by ASX-listed Harvey Norman Holdings Limited. As of 2022, there are 304 company-owned and franchised stores in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and South-East Asia operating under the Harvey Norman, Domayne and Joyce Mayne brands in Australia, and under the Harvey Norman brand overseas. (Full article...)
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Australian Liquor Marketers is the liquor arm of Metcash. It distributes liquor to businesses around Australia and New Zealand, and runs a franchise of almost 2900 liquor stores operating as The Bottle-O, Cellarbrations, IGA Liquor, Duncans, Thirsty Camel, Big Bargain, Porters and Merchants Liquor.
The company has 13 distribution centres across every state and territory of Australia, and a distribution centre in New Zealand. It is Australia's largest supplier of liquor to independently owned liquor retailers and largest broad-range liquor wholesaler, supplying to 12,000 liquor customers. (Full article...)
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Gala is a convenience shop chain in Ireland. Established in 1998, as of 2021 Gala had approximately 250 shops nationwide, all under franchise. The symbol group is supplied by a number of independent wholesalers which were formerly part of the National Wholesale group (now known as Stonehouse). In 2008, the brand recognised its tenth year in business. Gary Desmond is the chief executive officer.
Pie Face is an Australian food chain which predominantly sells pies, sausage rolls and coffee. It was founded in 2003 in Sydney, Australia, by Wayne Homschek. Following a period of rapid growth in Australia and overseas, the company entered administration in 2014 and the majority of the chain's stores closed. In April 2017, it was acquired by United Petroleum. Between 2018 and 2020, Pie Face opened over 200 locations across Australia. As of December 2020, Pie Face operated 240 locations. (Full article...)
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Caltex first started in New Zealand as the Star Oil Company in 1920, which was registered and established to import and distribute fuel oils from the USA under the Texaco brand. Lubricating products were handled by the Texas Company Australasia Limited (i.e. predecessor of Caltex Australia) while refined products such as petrol and kerosene were distributed by Star Oil Company under agreement with the Texas Company. Service stations selling Texaco fuel began in the early 1930s. When Caltex was established globally in 1936, Texaco signage was changed at service stations to the new name. However, it was not until 12 January 1945 when Caltex Oil (N.Z.) Limited was registered and incorporated.
New Zealand was the first country where Caltex sold Boron fuel, which had been sold in the country for two years under the name Texol. The success in New Zealand allowed Caltex to sign up rights to sell Boron in other markets worldwide. It remained Caltex's fuel brand globally until it was phased out in the 1980s. In November 1996, Caltex Oil (N.Z.) Limited changed its name to Caltex New Zealand Limited. In 1999, the first ever non-service station (stand-alone) Star Mart store in New Zealand opened in Wellington. At the beginning of 2006, there were 20 stand-alone Star Marts throughout the country. In 2009, the stand-alone stores were sold off and rebranded as Fix; remaining Fix stores were rebranded as Night 'n Day in 2017. (Full article...)
... that before Angeli Foods was sold this year, the first self-service grocery store in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan had been owned by three generations of a single family?
... that South African president Jacob Zuma requested a tour of a Sainsbury's supermarket during his state visit to the United Kingdom in 2010?
Image 49Fruit on display in a supermarket in Japan (from Supermarket)
In the news
1 October 2024 –
Three people are killed and fifteen others are injured in a mass stabbing at a supermarket in Songjiang district, Shanghai, China. Police arrest a 37-year-old man at the scene, adding that the man had come to Shanghai in order to "vent his anger due to a personal economic dispute". (Reuters)(BBC News)
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