Wakefern Food Corp. said it is leveraging technology, new growth opportunities and the power of its family-owned member companies to ensure success for generations to come. That’s the message leadership delivered during the cooperative’s annual shareholders meeting on October 16 at the Hilton in Parsippany, NJ, where 500 people including shareholders, store management and Wakefern teammates were in attendance.
The Keasbey, NJ-based wholesale grocery co-op also reported record retail sales of $20.7 billion for the 52-week fiscal year ending September 27, 2025, a 3.1 percent increase from the prior year. Wakefern members opened three state-of-the-art ShopRite stores and one The Fresh Grocer unit during the same period. The company also acquired grocer Morton Williams, adding 17 stores in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Jersey City to the cooperative.
“We are embracing bold ideas, exploring new business models, and seizing opportunities – all with a clear focus on building a sustainable future,” Wakefern chairman Sean McMenamin told the audience. “The entrepreneurial spirit and bold thinking that established Wakefern nearly 80 years ago – building us into the largest retailer-owned supermarket cooperative – will continue to guide us in the future.”
In addition to Wakefern members and retail and corporate teams in attendance at yesterday’s meeting, thousands of teammates across the cooperative joined virtually to hear leadership report on the 2025 fiscal year and share plans for 2026, ahead of the cooperative’s 80th anniversary.
“We’re focused on growing our brands and wholesale business and expanding market share – without losing sight of what makes us unique,” added Wakefern president Mike Stigers. “We will continue to unlock our full potential and push the limits of what is possible while never taking our eye off our core business and family-owned member companies.”
As part of the cooperative’s vision-forward plan, Wakefern welcomed family-founded New York City grocer Morton Williams to the cooperative in 2025. The move will preserve Morton Williams’ legacy and deep neighborhood connections while leveraging Wakefern’s logistical and wholesale resources and retail expertise.
It follows the 2024 acquisition of Philadelphia-based specialty grocer Di Bruno Bros. and brings Wakefern’s family of supermarket banners to eight, including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Gourmet Garage, Fairway Market, Morton Williams, Di Bruno Bros., and Dearborn Market.
The cooperative also added new wholesale customers this year while continuing to implement innovative technology and AI to enhance the shopping experience, both in-store and online. During the meeting, the co-op’s leadership congratulated Wakefern members for the investments they made in building new stores and remodeling others.
Wakefern also reaffirmed its commitment to the communities where its supermarket banners operate. The cooperative continued its fight against food insecurity through its signature hunger-fighting initiative, ShopRite Partners In Caring, and expanded its longtime partnership with the LPGA. Wakefern and ShopRite gave out a record $1.8 million in grants to charitable organizations at this year’s ShopRite LPGA Classic while launching new initiatives including a scholarship program for students, more sponsorships for athletes on the LPGA Tour and a special TeamSmile dental care clinic in conjunction with Colgate that helped more than 140 local children at this year’s ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Also at yesterday’s meeting, McMenamin announced the retirement of three longtime members from Wakefern’s board of directors: Irv Glass, Glass Gardens; Ned Gladstein, Sunrise ShopRite; and Larri Wolfson of the ShopRite of Lincoln Park. He thanked them for their decades of invaluable service in helping make Wakefern one of the strongest retailers in the northeast.
The Chairman’s Award went to Paul Patten, an industry veteran and Wakefern’s group VP-center store with 43 years of service to the cooperative. The special recognition is presented during the annual meeting to honor individuals who have made exceptional contributions to Wakefern.
“Paul’s leadership and vision helped drive Wakefern’s success over the years, but his kindness, empathy, and humor have shaped his friendships and relationships in this industry. Paul is a reminder of how our people are always the most important part of our business,” said McMenamin.
Wakefern shareholders elected to the board of directors at the meeting include: Sean McMenamin, chairman; Dominick J. Romano, vice chairman; Marshall Klein, treasurer; Lawrence Inserra Jr. and Patrick Burns, assistant treasurers; Richard Saker, secretary; Shawn Ravitz and Jordan Coe, assistant secretaries; Sandra Brown, Thomas Cingari, Joseph Colalillo, Geoffrey Eickhoff, Harry Garafalo, Jon Greenfield, Andrew Kent, David Maniaci, Jonathan Slawsby, Leonard Sitar, John J. Sumas, and David Zallie will also serve as directors. Additionally, Mike Stigers was appointed as president.
In other Wakefern news, the large wholesale co-op promoted Mark Van Buskirk to group VP-center store and announced that Travis Riepenhoff has joined the company as group VP-fresh.
Van Buskirk joined Wakefern in October 2024 as group VP-fresh after having served as senior VP-merchandising and marketing for Save Mart, Modesto, CA. His previous industry stints during his 35-year industry career include stops at Jacksons Food Stores, Supervalu and Albertsons. He replaces the aforementioned Patten, who is retiring.
In his new role at Wakefern, Riepenhoff will oversee Wakefern’s fresh food divisions, including foodservice, bakery, meat, seafood, produce and floral.
“Travis’s deep industry experience and passion for fresh foods make him the ideal leader to guide our fresh divisions,” said Darren Caudill, Wakefern’s chief sales officer. “His leadership will help us continue to deliver the exceptional quality and variety our customers expect while supporting our retail members in growing these key categories.”
With more than 23 years of experience in the supermarket industry, Riepenhoff brings expertise in retail operations and merchandising across all fresh departments. He most recently served as VP-fresh merchandising at Giant Eagle, where he developed high impact merchandising programs, led assortment optimization and worked to elevate product quality across the chain. Prior to that, he was senior director of meat and seafood at Kroger, managing a team of 120 associates across more than 2,700 stores.
Riepenhoff holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Shawnee State University and completed Leadership Education and Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
