What The Marketplace MN does

The Marketplace MN (legal entity Marohns Cokato Marketplace Inc.) is a privately held, second-generation family-owned grocery retail chain headquartered in Annandale, Minnesota, operating five physical storefronts across four communities: The Marketplace Annandale, Cub Buffalo, The Marketplace Cokato, and two locations in St. Michael including a dedicated Cub Wine & Spirits store. The company was founded in 1967 by Marv and Bernice Marohn as a 5,000 square-foot store called Marv's Red Owl and has since expanded to a combined 75,000 square feet of retail space offering more than 40 departments including bakery, deli, meat and poultry, produce, dairy, frozen foods, pharmacy, and housewares. Following founder Marv Marohn's death in March 2018, his children continue to operate the business.

The company's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer traditional grocery retail with no e-commerce delivery; customer acquisition runs through weekly print and digital circulars, in-store specials, and the Marketplace Rewards loyalty program, which uses phone-number-based enrollment at checkout (powered by the AppCard mobile app) to enable points accumulation, digital coupon clipping, and exclusive member pricing. A digital engagement ecosystem supports the physical stores, including a white-label recipe and shopping-list platform from ShoptoCook, SMS marketing communications, and a WCAG 2.1 Level AA-compliant website. Revenue is generated almost entirely through point-of-sale grocery and liquor transactions at the five locations, with no publicly disclosed pricing, headcount, or financial metrics.

The Marketplace MN positions itself around community-oriented, small-town service and brand heritage rather than scale-based competition, with no M&A activity, external funding, or evidence of geographic expansion beyond its existing Minnesota footprint. Technology partnerships (ShoptoCook, AppCard) and digital marketing capabilities are sourced from third-party vendors rather than developed in-house, and there is no indication of proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or platform products beyond its standard grocery operations.

Name

The Marketplace MN

Legal name

Marohns Cokato Marketplace Inc.

Website

https://themarketplacemn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Marketplace MN is a privately held, family-owned grocery retailer operating five stores across four Minnesota communities (Annandale, Buffalo, Cokato, and St. Michael), serving local households with full-service groceries, a Cub Wine & Spirits location, and a digital loyalty and rewards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Farmstead & Local Artisan Food Markets (Retail Shops) (CRAHAGAO)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Supermarket operations
• Loyalty programs
• Wine and spirits
• Community grocery

Headquarters

HQ city

Annandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grocery Retail Sales: Primary revenue from in-store sales of groceries and consumer goods across five retail locations. Revenue generated through point-of-sale transactions for food, beverages, household items, and other retail products.
2. Loyalty Program Services: Marketplace Rewards program drives customer retention and increased purchase frequency through points accumulation and exclusive member discounts.
3. Liquor Sales: Revenue from dedicated Cub Wine & Spirits location in St. Michael, MN.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Marketplace MN operates a family-owned grocery retail chain selling groceries, dairy, frozen foods, meat, produce, deli, bakery, housewares, and pharmacy items across five physical storefronts in Minnesota. The company also operates a dedicated Cub Wine & Spirits location and supports its retail operations with the Marketplace Rewards loyalty program, digital coupons, weekly ad circulars, and a ShoptoCook-powered recipe and shopping list platform.

Product overview

The Marketplace is a family-owned grocery retail chain operating five store locations in Minnesota. The company offers a unified digital ecosystem consisting of its retail grocery business, the Marketplace Rewards loyalty program, Weekly Ad circular platform, Digital Coupons system, Recipe Platform via ShoptoCook, and Shopping List functionality. These services are integrated through the company's website and mobile app (AppCard) to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience combining in-store and digital retail capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Marketplace (Retail Grocery) Second-generation family-owned grocery retail chain operating five stores across Minnesota communities, offering groceries, deli, bakery, meat, produce, and wine & spirits departments.
• Marketplace Rewards Program Points-based customer loyalty program where members earn points on grocery purchases, access digital coupons, and redeem rewards for discounts. Enrollment via phone number at checkout, online, or through the AppCard mobile app.
• Marketplace Rewards App (AppCard) Mobile application for iOS and Android supporting the Marketplace Rewards loyalty program, providing access to digital receipts, clip-to-card coupons, and exclusive member rewards.
• Digital Coupons Platform allowing Marketplace Rewards members to clip and save hundreds of digital coupons that are automatically applied at checkout.
• Weekly Ad Circular Digital circular showcasing weekly in-store specials and promotions across all store locations, allowing customers to browse deals and build shopping lists.
• In-Store Specials Current promotional pricing on featured products including grocery items, household goods, and seasonal offerings available in-store.
• Cub Wine & Spirits Dedicated liquor store location at 11881 Towncenter Dr NE in St. Michael, Minnesota, operating separately from the company's grocery retail locations.
• Recipe Platform (ShoptoCook) Integrated recipe database and meal planning tool powered by ShoptoCook, featuring categorized recipes (BBQ & Grilling, Family Favorites, Budget-Friendly, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, etc.), nutritional information, and shopping list integration.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Pork BoardminorOthersRecipe content partnership providing BBQ Ribs with Spicy Girls' Rub and Mop Sauce recipe. Recipe courtesy of National Pork Board with nutritional information and preparation directions.
• ShoptoCookcoreTechnology or IntegrationWhite-label recipe platform powering the website's recipe section, shopping list functionality, and printable circular features. Provides recipe database, nutritional information, and digital circular/weekly ad printing capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hy-Vee: Large employee-owned Midwest grocery chain with a growing presence in Minnesota. Overlaps directly in trade area and full-service grocery offering, but operates at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Wegmans: Family-owned regional grocery chain recognized for store experience, fresh departments, and customer service. Comparable in ownership ethos and quality positioning, though materially larger and concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast.
• Meijer: Family-owned Midwest supercenter operator combining grocery with general merchandise. Comparable in family ownership and Midwest presence, though operates at vastly larger scale and with a different format mix.
• Publix: Employee/family-owned supermarket chain widely cited as a benchmark for customer service and community focus. Comparable ownership culture and customer-experience orientation, though operates at significantly larger scale in the Southeast.

Regional players

• Festival Foods: Family-owned grocery chain headquartered in Wisconsin with a comparable multi-store regional model and community-oriented positioning. Operates in an adjacent Upper Midwest geography with similar competitive dynamics.
• Schnucks: Family-owned Midwest grocery chain with comparable multi-store format and full-service grocery assortment. Similar in ownership culture and mid-sized regional scale, though based in the St. Louis metro area.

Direct peers

• Kowalski's Markets: Family-owned Twin Cities grocery operator focused on fresh, local, and specialty assortments. Comparable in independent ownership, community-rooted branding, and curated grocery positioning within the same Minnesota market.
• Lunds & Byerlys: Family-owned Twin Cities grocery chain with a similar community-service orientation and multi-store regional footprint. Direct overlap in Minnesota operating geography and customer demographic.
• Cub Foods: Minnesota-based supermarket banner under UNFI. The Marketplace MN operates two of its locations under the Cub banner, making Cub both a direct operating affiliate and a direct competitor in the same Minnesota trade area.
• Coborn's: Family-owned Minnesota-based grocery chain operating multiple supermarket and convenience formats across the Upper Midwest. Closely comparable in ownership model, regional scope, and traditional grocery assortment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/themarketplacemn

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 The Marketplace MN