Following World War II, the end of food rationing and the lifting of price controls marked the beginning of a challenging time for the independent grocer. During the war, customer loyalty to independent grocers was strong, but afterward, the bigger self-service supermarkets were offering a wider selection at lower prices, and shoppers took notice.

In 1946, in an effort to assist these struggling grocers, a sales representative from Del Monte Foods introduced eight independent grocers from Newark, New Jersey, to the idea of pooling their resources to purchase large quantities of products at lower cost. Open to the new business arrangement, the grocers banded together and used their new cooperative buying power to offer customers the same goods at competitive prices. After a successful trial period, the relationship was formalized on December 5, 1946, with each grocer investing $1,000 into the new entity giving birth to Wakefern Food Corp.

Today, Wakefern is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States, comprising 45 member companies who independently own and operate 365 retail supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market, and Di Bruno Bros. banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island markets.