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Rosauers Supermarkets
USINFO | 2013-12-02 13:56
| Rosauers Supermarkets, Inc. | |
 |
|
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1934 |
| Founder(s) | J. Merton Rosauer |
| Headquarters | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Number of locations | 22 (2012) |
| Key people | Jeff Philipps (President,CEO) |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
| Employees | 2,100 (2011)[1] |
| Parent | URM Stores |
| Divisions |
Super 1 Foods Huckleberry's Natural Market |
| Website | www.rosauers.com |
Rosauers Supermarkets, Inc. is a chain of supermarkets based in Spokane, Washington. After the company's founder, J. Merton Rosauer, sold Rosauers to Spokane-based URM Stores in 1984, it eventually grew to 22 stores under the Huckleberry's Natural Market, Rosauers, and Super 1 Foods brands. Rosauers' stores are located in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.
History
In 1934, J. Merton Rosauer purchased a small grocery store in Spokane, Washington after obtaining a $1,000 loan from his parents. By 1938, Rosauer sold his first store and invested in another grocery store. After selling off his second store, Rosauer opened his and Spokane's first supermarketin 1949.In 1984, prior to retiring, Rosauer sold the company to URM Stores, a grocery supplier based in Spokane. By June 1986, Rosauers was operating 25 stores in four U.S. states with about 1,500 employees.
In September 1989, the Board of Directors for URM Stores made the decision to sell of the Rosauers chain.[1] URM Stores agreed to sell 15 of the 24 Rosauers stores through an employee stock ownership plan in February 1990.
On April 10, 1990, Spokane employees of Rosauers voted to accept amendments to their labor contracts that would allow the employee purchase of the company. With 425 of the 700 eligible employees voting, the final count was 377 for and 48 against the company's sale. The sale was completed on July 27, 1990, with the company's 1,250 employees receiving ownership of 15 supermarkets, one freestanding pharmacy, an ice cream plant, and the corporate office building.
A Rosauers store inMeridian, Idaho.
On June 13, 2000, Rosauers announced URM Stores had completed the purchase of Rosauers after more than 1,800 of Rosauers' employees voted in favor of the sale. During June 2000, Rosauers was operating 19 stores in the Inland Northwest. Following the acquisition, URM Stores became the fourth-largest employer in Spokane County. Since the sale to URM, Rosauers has opened two more stores in Yakima, Washington (2002) and Bozeman, Montana (2007)
In December 2008, Rosauers was forced to temporarily close its store on Francis Street in Spokane after 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) of the store's roof collapsed. Spokane fire officials said no one was trapped in the debris and only a minor injury to a Rosauers employee was reported. The damage estimate for the roof collapse at the Francis Street location topped $1 million.
In March 2011, Rosauers announced its plans to enter southern Idaho in 2012 with a store in Meridian, Idaho. The Meridian store features a Huckleberry's Natural Market and a cooking school. Rosauers said additional stores are a possibility for the Treasure Valley if the Meridian store performs well.
Controversy
In April 2013, Ally Robledo, a 25-year-old transgendered customer was banned the chain's location in Lewiston, Idaho after several customers complained when she used the women’s restroom. Lewiston police were called and delivered a "no trespass" order to Robledo as she left the grocery store.[12] Local and national news covered the story and some community members and groups have taken to raise awareness about transgendered discrimination by highlighting this event.
Huckleberry's Natural Market
Story
ROSAUERS SUPERMARKETS had its beginning in 1934 when J. Merton Rosauer, just out of school, bought a little grocery store on the corner of Sprague and Lee Streets in Spokane, Washington. The purchase was financed by a $1,000 loan from his father and mother. These were Depression times, and it was four years before the loan could be paid back out of profits.
It took courage and faith to launch a business at a time when America's economy was turned upside down, and over the years Mr. Rosauer would parlay these traits into one of the most successful and innovative corporations in the Pacific Northwest. In 1938 he sold his first neighborhood store, and with his earnings reinvested in another. A short time later he repeated that process again. Then in 1949, Mr. Rosauer opened the Company's first - and Spokane's first - supermarket. It was located at 3rd and Oak, and it incorporated lessons and ideas that had been 15 years in the making. At that time, Rosauers had only about 20 employees. But these dedicated people made the new supermarket an instant success. Interestingly, that first store is still operating, in a space seven times larger than its original size.
Rosauers has continued to stand on its founding principles of providing the highest quality products, largest selection, cleanest stores and friendliest, professional service. Rosauers’ commitment to valuing its employees and customers will continue to guide the company toward a very successful future. Mert Rosauer would be proud of the legacy he founded so many years ago.
We strive to provide you with friendly, personal service that sets us apart from other pharmacies. Our professionally trained pharmacists are ready to answer your medical questions and address your pharmacy needs. We thank you for your business and look forward to the opportunity to serve you.
