What Hometown Grocers does

Hometown Grocers, Inc. (HGI) is a privately held grocery retail holding company headquartered in De Pere, Wisconsin, operating nine locally-branded supermarket locations entirely within Wisconsin. The company was incorporated in 2021 but its operational roots trace through acquired regional grocers whose collective history in Wisconsin's grocery industry spans more than 70 years. HGI runs a hybrid M&A model: each store operates under a preserved local banner (Dave's CountyMarket, Denny's SuperValu Foods, Don's Quality Market, Lake Mills Market, Lakewood SuperValu, Super Ron's Food Center, Thorp SuperValu Foods, Thompson's County Market, and Wittenberg Sentry Foods), with a centralized corporate layer providing inter-store support for staffing and inventory.

The business model is traditional brick-and-mortar grocery retail, with revenue generated through point-of-sale transactions across small-town Wisconsin communities. Stores operate extended hours (typically 6:00am–10:00pm) and serve end consumers rather than commercial accounts. The technology stack is unremarkable: a corporate website (hgistores.com) with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility features, individual store websites, and an iCIMS-hosted careers page. There is no mobile app, no disclosed API, no proprietary technology, and no digital commerce channel beyond marketing pages. HGI does not publish pricing, revenue, or financial metrics.

In 2024 HGI was acquired by Schnuck Markets and became part of the newly formed 1939 Group holding company, which also includes Skogen's Festival Foods and operates 163 stores across four states with nearly 19,000 employees. The 1939 Group structure preserves local brand identities while pooling procurement, operational, and financial resources. Todd Schnuck Jr., fourth-generation family member, serves as CFO of 1939 Group. HGI operates independently within this structure, with no public listing and no disclosed external investor ownership beyond Schnuck family control.

Name

Hometown Grocers

Legal name

Hometown Grocers, Inc.

Website

https://hgistores.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hometown Grocers, Inc. is a privately held Wisconsin grocery retail holding company operating nine locally-branded supermarket locations across rural Wisconsin, serving small-town communities under preserved local banners as part of the Schnuck Markets-founded 1939 Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (445110), Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Supermarkets & Neighborhood Grocers (CRAHAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Traditional Grocery Stores (Small-Format/Corner Grocers) (CRAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Community grocery retail
• Neighborhood supermarket
• Wisconsin grocery stores
• Independent grocery chains
• Local grocery banners

Headquarters

HQ city

De Pere

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Revenue generated from retail sales of groceries and consumer goods through physical supermarket locations. Company operates as a traditional grocery retailer selling food and household products to end consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hometown Grocers, Inc. operates a network of nine locally-branded supermarket locations across Wisconsin, selling groceries, food, and household consumer goods directly to local community consumers through physical storefronts. The company preserves the local identities of acquired grocery chains (Dave's CountyMarket, Denny's SuperValu Foods, Don's Quality Market, Lake Mills Market, Lakewood Supervalu, Super Ron's Food Center, Thorp Supervalu Foods, Thompson's County Market, and Wittenberg Sentry Foods) while providing centralized support for staffing and inventory.

Product overview

Hometown Grocers, Inc. (HGI) is a privately held grocery retail holding company based in Wisconsin that operates a network of nine locally-branded supermarket chains acquired through consolidation. The company operates under a hybrid M&A model, preserving the local brand identities of acquired chains (Dave's CountyMarket, Denny's SuperValu Foods, Don's Quality Market, Lake Mills Market, Lakewood Supervalu, Super Ron's Food Center, Thorp Supervalu Foods, Thompson's County Market, and Wittenberg Sentry Foods) while providing centralized operational support through an inter-store network. HGI positions itself as a community-focused neighborhood grocery chain emphasizing exceptional service, quality products, clean stores, and local community ties, with its first HGI location opening in 2021 though its roots in Wisconsin's grocery industry span over 70 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dave's CountyMarket: Grocery store located in Merrill, WI
• Denny's SuperValu Foods
• Don's Quality Market
• Lake Mills Market
• Lakewood Supervalu
• Super Ron's Food Center
• Thorp Supervalu Foods
• Thompson's County Market
• Wittenberg Sentry Foods

Products and services

• Dave's CountyMarket A locally-operated supermarket located at 300 E. 1st Street, Merrill, WI 54452, operating from 6:00am to 10:00pm, serving Merrill-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Denny's SuperValu Foods A locally-operated supermarket located at 510 5th St., Algoma, WI 54201, serving Algoma-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Don's Quality Market A locally-operated supermarket located at 147 W. Wisconsin St., Seymour, WI 54165, serving Seymour-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Lake Mills Market A locally-operated supermarket located at 375 W. Tyranena Park Rd., Lake Mills, WI 53551, serving Lake Mills-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Lakewood Supervalu A locally-operated supermarket located at 17186 Twin Pines Rd., Lakewood, WI 54138, serving Lakewood-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Super Ron's Food Center A locally-operated supermarket located at 960 County Road B, Pulaski, WI 54162, serving Pulaski-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Thorp Supervalu Foods A locally-operated supermarket located at 110 W. Prospect St., Thorp, WI 54771, serving Thorp-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Thompson's County Market A locally-operated supermarket located at 722 Brazeau Ave, Oconto, WI 54153, open daily 7am to 8pm, serving Oconto-area residents with groceries and household essentials.
• Wittenberg Sentry Foods A locally-operated supermarket located at 110 S. Mission St., Wittenberg, WI 54499, serving Wittenberg-area residents with groceries and household essentials.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 1939 GroupcoreOthers · 1 January 2025Hometown Grocers, Inc. was acquired by Schnuck Markets and became part of the 1939 Group holding company in 2024-2025. The 1939 Group operates Hometown Grocers and Festival Foods as separate entities with local brand identities preserved. Todd Schnuck Jr., great-grandson of Schnuck founder Anna Donovan Schnuck, was promoted to CFO of 1939 Group.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Kwik Trip: Wisconsin-based convenience-store and small-format grocer with strong Wisconsin presence. Competes for everyday grocery occasions in HGI's small-town geographies and represents a regional channel alternative.

Broad incumbents

• Schnuck Markets: Mid-size Midwest regional grocery chain and parent acquirer of HGI in 2024 as part of forming the 1939 Group holding company. Operates 100+ stores across four states and shares HGI's community-grocer heritage and regional operating model.
• Hy-Vee: Employee-owned regional supermarket chain spanning the Midwest with strong community ties and store-brand differentiation. Comparable as a multi-state Midwest grocer with similar emphasis on service quality and community positioning.
• Meijer: Family-owned Midwest supercenter operator combining grocery with general merchandise across Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana. Competes directly with HGI in Wisconsin markets and represents the broader regional grocer competitive set.
• Aldi: Hard-discount grocery chain rapidly expanding in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest. Competes with HGI on price in overlapping small-town markets and represents the structural pricing-pressure threat to independent grocers.

Emerging players

• Trader Joe's: Specialty-format neighborhood grocer with curated assortment and differentiated brand experience. Comparable to HGI in neighborhood-store format and brand-experience focus, though with very different assortment strategy.

Direct peers

• Woodman's Markets: Family-owned Wisconsin-based regional grocery chain operating large-format supermarkets with a focus on low prices and broad assortment. Direct competitor in Wisconsin markets with overlapping community-focused positioning.
• Festival Foods (Skogen's): Wisconsin-based regional independent supermarket chain and HGI's sister company under the 1939 Group holding company. Operates a comparable multi-store, community-focused grocery model across Wisconsin with preserved local identity, making it the closest structural and geographic peer.
• Piggly Wiggly Midwest: Franchised grocery store operator with many small-town independent locations across the Midwest. Comparable in operating multi-store independent grocery networks under preserved local banners, similar to HGI's roll-up approach.
• Lunds & Byerlys: Family-owned Upper Midwest regional grocery chain emphasizing premium service, local products, and community connection. Comparable to HGI in family/independent heritage, regional footprint, and differentiated service positioning.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hometown-grocers-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hometown Grocers