Felpausch
| Industry | Supermarket |
|---|---|
| Founded | Hastings, Michigan, 1933 |
| Founder | Roman C. Felpausch |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Acquired by Spartan Stores in March 2007 |
| Successor | Family Fare D&W Fresh Market |
| Headquarters | Grand Rapids, MI |
Number of locations | 0 |
Key people | James Felpausch (president( Craig Sturken (CEO) |
| Brands | Spartan President's Choice Top Care Full Circle |
| Subsidiaries | Felpausch Xpress, Zucca's, Harding's Market |
Felpausch Food Center /ˈfɛlpaʊʃ/ was a regional grocery store chain based in Hastings, Michigan, United States. The first store opened in Hastings in 1933, and the chain operated primarily in the southwestern quadrant of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. In March 2007, the chain's 20 locations were sold to Spartan Stores (now SpartanNash), who largely converted them to Family Fare and D&W Fresh Market.
History
[edit]Felpausch was founded in 1933 by Roman C. Felpausch in Hastings, Michigan. A store in Albion was built in 1954.[1] By 1962, the chain was also in Eaton Rapids, Marshall, and Mason.[2]
In 1971, the Felpausch chain expanded by buying former Harding's Market locations in Delton and Bronson, Michigan.[3] The Bronson store was sold in 1982.[4]
Felpausch was run by the fifth generation of family members, and began operating as an associate-owned company since 1995. The following year, in 1996, it acquired locations from South Haven-based Village Markets in Dowagiac, Paw Paw, and Benton Harbor. The Benton Harbor store, originally built as Jewel, was closed after only 10 months.[5]
A branch in Battle Creek was converted to an upscale prototype called Zucca's in 2004.[6] Jackson, Michigan and another in Battle Creek were both reconfigured in 2006 to have Ace Hardware franchises.[7] These stores were also converted Jewel locations; the one in Battle Creek opened in 1994 to replace two other locations elsewhere in Battle Creek that had both previously been Kroger locations.[8] The replacement closed in 2008.[9]
In March 2007, it was announced that Felpausch was being purchased by nearby-based distributor and retailer Spartan Stores (now SpartanNash).[10] Spartan re-branded most of the Felpausch locations under the names D&W Fresh Market and Family Fare.[11] The Felpausch store in Charlotte was closed and converted to a health office by 2008.[12] The original Felpausch store in Hastings closed in 2008 and became an Ace Hardware,[13] followed by the closure of the Felpausch store in Kalamazoo in 2009.[14] The former Felpausch location in Grand Ledge was shuttered in 2013 after a brief conversion to Family Fare.[15] The Felpausch location in Mason became a Save-A-Lot which closed in January 2015.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "'54 construction hits over $2,000,000 at Albion, 90 building permits issued". Battle Creek Enquirer. December 30, 1954. p. 4. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Felpausch Co. has new store in Mason". Battle Creek Enquirer. May 3, 1962. p. 2. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Delton, Bronson markets are sold to Felpausch". Battle Creek Enquirer. May 13, 1971. p. B1. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Felpausch sells store in Bronson". Battle Creek Enquirer. March 12, 1982. p. C4. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Felpausch closing Napier Avenue store". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ Springer, Jon (19 July 2004). "Felpausch Fighting Wal-Mart With New Concept". Supermarket News.
- ^ Toth, Wendy (9 October 2006). "Felpausch Adds Ace Hardware To Stores". Supermarket News.
- ^ Crockett, Roger O. (May 22, 1994). "The perils of competition". Battle Creek Enquirer. pp. 1D, 2D. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ "Felpausch will close May 24". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "Spartan to Pay $38.5 Million for Felpausch". Supermarket News. March 27, 2007.
- ^ "Spartan to Convert Felpausch to D&W, Family Fare". Supermarket News. August 6, 2007.
- ^ "Facts and Figures | My AL!VE". www.myalive.com. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "Ace Hardware moving to former Felpausch store / 8-15-1". hastingsbanner.com. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "Felpausch market to close on Kalamazoo's Northside on Saturday". MLive.com. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "Vacant grocery property in GL eyed for redevelopment". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved 2017-08-01.
- ^ "masontoday.com". www.masontoday.com. Retrieved 2017-08-01.