Lees Market

What Lees Market does

Lees Market is a privately held, family-owned independent supermarket founded in 1949 in Westport, Massachusetts, and currently owned by Tracy Anthony of the Clements family following the February 2014 acquisition. The company operates a single flagship store in Westport plus two affiliated Clements' Marketplace locations in Portsmouth and Plymouth, for a three-store regional footprint in southeast Massachusetts and Bristol County. The business serves local community consumers — including families and health- or dietary-specific shoppers (organic, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free) — through an unusually full-service grocery format that combines traditional grocery, dairy, produce, butcher, seafood, in-store bakery, a custom cake business (Starfish Bakery), a prepared foods and deli operation (Rustic Kitchen), an in-store cafe (Blue Lobster Cafe with a 2026 Fresh Sushi menu), wine and spirits (Lees Wine & Spirits), and floral (Lees Floral). Loyalty and pricing are managed through the free Shopper's Club card, and a Groceries 2 Go service extends the physical store into mobile ordering and in-store pickup via the third-party Freshop platform.

The company's principal proprietary technology is VERTIGREENS, an on-site controlled environment agriculture (CEA) hydroponic farm housed in a converted shipping container at the Westport store, producing lettuces, herbs, and other greens year-round using less than five gallons of water per day and yielding the equivalent of 2.5 acres of conventional growing capacity. VERTIGREENS output is distributed to all three locations, supporting a pesticide-free, ultra-fresh produce position that competes primarily on freshness and local provenance rather than price. The digital layer is comparatively thin: the Groceries 2 Go mobile app (Freshop) is the only confirmed third-party technology integration; there is no public API, no developer platform, and no disclosed use of machine learning or AI-driven tooling across merchandising, inventory, or personalization.

Lees Market generates revenue through transaction-fee retail across all departments — grocery, fresh meat and seafood, wine and spirits, custom and in-store bakery, prepared foods, cafe, and floral — supplemented by loyalty-driven repeat purchasing. Pricing is positioned as value-competitive with a stated emphasis on selection, service, and experience over absolute lowest price, and the Shopper's Club provides the lowest in-store pricing along with automatic promotional access. The customer base is geographically concentrated (local Bristol County / southeast Massachusetts consumers) and horizontally segmented across primary household shoppers and a secondary health/dietary-specific shopper segment, with no enterprise or B2B customer concentration identified.

Name

Lees Market

Legal name

Lees Market Food Store

Website

https://leesmarket.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lees Market is a family-owned independent supermarket founded in 1949 in Westport, Massachusetts, operating three southeast Massachusetts grocery locations with full-service departments — including an on-site VERTIGREENS hydroponic farm, butcher, bakeries, deli, cafe, and wine and spirits — serving local community and dietary-specific shoppers via in-store retail and Freshop-powered online ordering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Supermarket / Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Food & Supplement Stores (CRAHAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Supermarket operations
• Fresh produce
• Specialty foods
• Online grocery ordering

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntington Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grocery Retail Sales: Traditional supermarket retail selling grocery items, produce, dairy, and general merchandise across multiple departments including Grocery, Dairy, Produce, and Specialty Foods.
2. Fresh Meat and Seafood: Hand-cut fresh meats and locally sourced seafood sold through Lees Famous Butcher Shop. All cuts done on site, meat ground daily.
3. Wine & Spirits: Liquor store offering high-end liquor, wine, craft beer, fine wines, and exotic alcohol. Roots in early 1970s, expanded to unique and hard-to-find selections.
4. Custom Bakery - Starfish Bakery: Custom-designed cakes, pies, gourmet desserts. Free-hand designs, homemade approach with quality ingredients.
5. In-Store Bakery: Fresh-made breads, bagels, muffins, croissants starting at 6 AM daily. Small independent operation focused on quality and customer relationships.
6. Prepared Foods - Rustic Kitchen & Deli: Hot foods bar with scratch-made items, cold deli with house-made salads, sliced meats and cheeses. Includes rotisserie chicken, meatloaves, ribs, and prepared entrees.
7. Blue Lobster Cafe: In-store cafe serving breakfast, lunch, coffee, espresso drinks. Wifi available for customers.
8. Floral Department: Fresh-cut flowers and plants. Custom arrangements, special orders, holiday decorations, and romantic bouquets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lees Market is a family-owned independent supermarket that sells groceries, fresh produce, dairy, hand-cut meats and seafood, baked goods, prepared foods, wine and spirits, and floral arrangements through three retail locations in Massachusetts. The store operates multiple in-house departments including a butcher shop, two bakeries, a deli/prepared foods kitchen, a cafe, and an on-site hydroponic farm (VERTIGREENS) that produces pesticide-free greens year-round. Customers can also shop online via the Groceries 2 Go mobile app and participate in the Shopper's Club loyalty program.

Product overview

Lees Market is a family-owned supermarket operating since 1949, offering a comprehensive grocery retail experience through multiple specialized departments. The core offering includes traditional grocery departments (Dairy, Grocery, Produce, Meat, Seafood) alongside specialty operations (In-Store Bakery, Starfish Bakery custom cakes, Rustic Kitchen prepared foods, Blue Lobster Cafe, Specialty Foods, Lees Floral, and Lees Wine & Spirits). The company differentiates through VERTIGREENS, an innovative on-site hydroponic farm producing pesticide-free greens year-round. Digital services include the Groceries-2-Go (G2G) online shopping platform powered by Freshop, and the Lees Shopper's Club loyalty program. The product portfolio functions as a unified retail ecosystem where each department serves as an interconnected component of the total shopping experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VERTIGREENS: On-site hydroponic farm located at Lees Market in Westport, MA, growing lettuce, herbs and more using controlled environment agriculture in a state-of-the-art converted shipping container.
• Blue Lobster Cafe
• Starfish Bakery
• Lees Wine & Spirits

Products and services

• Groceries (Grocery & Dairy Departments) General grocery and dairy offerings featuring competitive everyday prices, unmatched selection, and a clean friendly shopping environment. Dairy includes milks, eggs, butters, cheeses, juices, yogurts, dips, spreads, and specialty items featuring organic, vegan, vegetarian, soy, and local farm products.
• Produce Department Fresh produce sourced from local and regional farmers with whom Lees has lasting relationships spanning decades. Includes VERTIGREENS hydroponic farm produce available at all three locations.
• Lees Famous Butcher Shop & Seafood Hand-cut meats with daily-ground meat, no pre-cut or processed products. Carries fresh seafood from local suppliers including salmon, sea scallops, and cod, with up-front quality and safety standards. All cuts done on-site.
• Lees Wine & Spirits Liquor store offering high-end liquor, wine, craft beer, fine wines, and exotic alcohol. Features wine experts who assist customers in selections from Bordeaux to Malbec. Roots in early 1970s, expanded to unique and hard-to-find selections.
• In-Store Bakery Fresh-made breads, bagels, muffins, croissants, and other baked goods prepared daily starting at 6 AM. Small independent operation focused on quality and customer relationships.
• Starfish Bakery (Custom Bakery) Custom-designed cakes, pies, cheesecakes, gourmet desserts, and bite-sized party snacks. Free-hand designs, homemade approach with quality ingredients, made-to-order items for special occasions.
• Rustic Kitchen & Deli (Prepared Foods) Hot foods bar with scratch-made items, cold deli with house-made salads, sliced meats and cheeses. Includes rotisserie chicken, meatloaves, ribs, chicken pot pies, and prepared entrees. Features brands like Boar's Head and Boston Salads.
• Blue Lobster Cafe In-store cafe serving breakfast, lunch, coffee, espresso drinks, sandwiches, and cafe meals. Wifi available for customers. Features customer-driven menu items and personal interaction with regular customers.
• Lees Floral Fresh-cut flowers and plants personally selected for quality and longevity. Custom arrangements, special orders, holiday decorations, and romantic bouquets created by floral designers.
• Specialty Foods Department Specialty foods including organic, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free products. Features a dynamic selection of unique and hard-to-find items with the ability to special order.
• VERTIGREENS Hydroponic Farm On-site hydroponic farm located at Lees Market in Westport, MA, using controlled environment agriculture (CEA) technology in a converted shipping container. Produces pesticide-free and herbicide-free lettuce, herbs, and greens year-round with equivalent of 2.5 acres of growing capacity using less than five gallons of water daily. Products available at all three locations.
• Groceries 2 Go (G2G) Online Ordering Online grocery shopping and pickup service accessible via the Freshop mobile app. Customers can browse products, place orders, and schedule pickup at the store.
• Lees Shopper's Club Free loyalty card program that provides members with the lowest prices on items and automatic inclusion in existing and future promotions. Customers sign up by submitting a form to receive their Club Card.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Local Farmers (multiple suppliers)coreOthersLong-term relationships with local and regional farmers who supply produce. Some relationships span decades. Farmers are featured on store walls. Direct, open relationships help keep local producers in business while providing competitive prices to customers.
• Local VendorscoreOthersLocal husband and wife teams and small local vendors whose products are featured on shelves. Company actively seeks to provide shelf space for local products and introduces new items from local sources.
• 250+ Suppliers (including largest US grocery wholesaler)coreOthersPurchases from over 250 suppliers spanning from the largest national grocery wholesaler to local small vendors. Network includes specialty food suppliers, Boar's Head deli products, Boston Salads, and local farms.
• FreshopcoreTechnology or IntegrationFreshop provides the technology platform for Lees Market's Groceries 2 Go mobile app. Available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Enables online shopping and in-store pickup service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stop & Shop: Major Ahold Delhaize-owned regional supermarket chain with dense Massachusetts presence. Direct competitor for conventional grocery share in southeast Massachusetts but operates with vastly larger footprint and assortment.
• Whole Foods Market: Amazon-owned national specialty and organic grocer. Competes for health-conscious, organic, and specialty shoppers in southeast Massachusetts with overlapping organic/specialty positioning.
• Trader Joe's: National specialty grocery chain with strong New England presence. Competes for specialty and value-oriented shoppers through curated, private-label assortment and unique product rotation.
• Wegmans: Large East Coast supermarket chain known for prepared foods, in-store dining, and specialty offerings. Increasingly present in Massachusetts and competes for premium grocery and prepared-foods shoppers.
• Shaw's: Albertsons-owned regional supermarket chain operating throughout New England. Direct competitor in southeast Massachusetts for conventional grocery shoppers across similar store formats.
• Market Basket: Large family-owned regional supermarket chain throughout New England. Comparable business model and customer value proposition (low prices, employee loyalty) but at substantially greater scale than Lees Market.

Direct peers

• Roche Bros: Family-owned independent supermarket chain operating multiple stores across Massachusetts. Closely comparable as a New England independent competing on service, quality perishables, and prepared foods rather than discount pricing.
• Clements' Marketplace: Sibling business under the Clements family with locations in Portsmouth and Plymouth, MA. Most directly comparable peer because it shares ownership, likely operates similar multi-department format, and is part of the same supply ecosystem including VERTIGREENS distribution.
• Harvest Market: Independent specialty/health-focused grocery store with multiple locations in western Massachusetts. Comparable emphasis on specialty, organic, and locally-sourced products with a similar multi-department operating model.

Others

• Freshop: E-commerce platform provider powering Lees Market's Groceries 2 Go service. Enabling peer rather than competitor; relevant because it provides the digital ordering capability Lees uses to compete with chains' proprietary apps.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LeesMarketWPT
• Instagraminstagram.com/leesmarketwpt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lees Market