Special Report: Associated Supermarket Group

Happy Sunday, and welcome to a detailed look at some of the work the Associated Supermarket Group -- or ASG -- has been up to lately! Yesterday I posted about a lot of recent news, so don't miss that lengthy post here. ASG is the Long Island-based cooperative behind Associated, Met, Pioneer, and Compare Foods stores. Today's ASG is only a little over 10 years old, as it was formed by merging the retail arm of DiGiorgio (Met and Pioneer) with Associated Food Holdings (Associated and Compare) in 2014 when DiGiorgio and White Rose, which supplied all of the above, went under. They lost a lot of stores in 2014 when the wholesalers were struggling, with the vast majority going to Key Food under the Food Universe brand and others. And ASG, owned by private equity until 2021, struggled to recover from the turmoil of their primary wholesaler going under and approximately a quarter or more of their stores leaving the cooperative. During most of that time, Key Food was the major mover and shaker with countless new stores and stores acquired from other cooperatives. Now, Key Food's growth -- while still ongoing -- has slowed, while ASG has been picking up the pace drastically, even bringing some stores back to their group from Key Food. Here's a look at what they've been up to.

Rebrands

Four stores have left Key Food to join ASG, a notable reversal of the typical trend. Three of the four are in the Bronx and one is in Manhattan. All four were ASG members before joining Key Food, and all four appear to share ownership.

1470 Westchester Ave, Soundview, Bronx

Was: Food Dynasty (2020-2025)

Now: Compare Fresh

Of note: This store was built as an A&P, probably in the 1940s or 50s. It became a CTown in 1982, then a Bravo in 2007. It was taken over by its current owners in 2010 and became a Compare Foods. In 2020, it became a Food Dynasty affiliated with Key Food, and now it's back as a Compare Fresh.

126 Featherbed Ln, Morris Heights, Bronx

Was: Food Universe (2020-2025)

Now: Compare Fresh

Of Note: Unlike the Westchester Ave store, this wasn't a longtime supermarket. It was built in 2011-2012 as a Foodtown, which switched to Compare Foods in early 2018. It became a Food Universe at the same time as the Westchester Ave store, and is now a Compare Fresh. The branding is extremely inconsistent, though...

Inside the store, many of the price tags say Key Food, a brand this store never actually used (although Food Universe is a banner of the Key Food cooperative). The aisle markers and several other signs say Food City, using the logo of a short-lived store in Alphabet City. These signs appear to have been installed around the time that Alphabet City location opened, so they went in while the store was a Food Universe. A former Pioneer supermarket just a block away has recently become a Global Fresh, a Key Food brand, along with about four other former ASG stores that have recently joined Key Food -- so there's definitely still stores going in both directions.

724 Hunts Point Ave, Hunts Point, Bronx

Was: Food Universe (2020-2025)

Now: Associated Fresh

Of Note: This is Hunts Point's only supermarket, despite the neighborhood being home to the major food distribution center for the metro area. I'm not entirely sure of the full history here, but it was an Associated for many years, becoming a Compare Foods in the mid-2010s, then Food Universe in 2020 with the others. The transition is still in progress for sure, with Urban Meadow (the Key Food brand) still in a lot of the departments. There were also some assorted Krasdale items on the shelves, and I'm unsure why that is.

Avenue A is the ASG storebrand, although they sometimes supplement with Best Yet from C&S.

Also...

Two Manhattan stores that I haven't yet been able to get to. On the left is 71-75 Ave D, Alphabet City, Manhattan. It was a Compare Foods until 2020 just like the others, then The Food Emporium (Key Food) from 2020-2025. It's now a Compare Fresh again. On the right is 2541 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd, Harlem, Manhattan. It was an Associated until 2012/2013 when it became a Pioneer, then The Food Emporium from 2020 to the present. It hasn't shown up just yet on any of the ASG websites, but it's no longer on the Key Food website, and appears to be under the same ownership.

More Rebrands

151 E Tremont Ave, Mount Hope, Bronx

Was: Compare Foods (2019-2024)

Now: Associated Fresh

Of Note: This small store was first a very short-lived Fine Fare around 2017, then by 2019 it was open as a Compare Foods. Compare Foods closed here in 2024 and it's recently reopened as an Associated Fresh, still under ASG, after pretty thorough renovation. Look for a more extensive post on this store soon.

1150 Woodycrest Ave, Highbridge, Bronx

Was: Pioneer Fresh

Now: Shop Fresh Food by Associated

Of Note: Pioneer opened here October 23, 1985, though I don't know if another supermarket was here before that. Since then, it's changed ownership and brands a few times. It became a Met Fresh around 2012, then went back to Pioneer in 2015 or 2016. Most recently, it's been sold and extensively remodeled, and is now having its grand opening as Shop Fresh Food by Associated. As you can see, branding consistency is not always ASG's strong suit -- when this store switched from Met Fresh to Pioneer, the "Met" was removed from the storefront but never replaced with anything, leaving just Fresh Supermarket on two places on the front. There was a Pioneer sign on the side. Now, Shop Fresh is sometimes "by Associated" but more often "by Antillana SuperFood". Speaking of, a recently-opened Antillana in Manhattan has closed after just a few months, and ASG has sued the former owners for unpaid bills. Keep an eye out for more extensive coverage of this Shop Fresh, too, possibly next weekend if I can write it up.

New Stores

Another Antillana affiliate, Extra Jumbo Marketplace, has moved into and nicely renovated a former Family Dollar up in Norwood just up the street from the new Key Food there. It's a small but attractive store, and it's located at 3560 Jerome Ave, Norwood, Bronx. More to come on this store, too.