Wakefern sees $14.7B in retail sales for fiscal year

KEASBEY, N.J. — Wakefern Food Corp. reached a record sales level of $14.7 billion in retail sales for the fiscal year ended Sept. 27, a 4% increase from the same period last year, and $11.9 billion in Wakefern sales, the company reported during its annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.



During the meeting,  which took place in East Brunswick, N.J., Wakefern’s chairman and CEO, Joseph S. Colalillo, and president and COO, Joe Sheridan, addressed shareholders, store management and staff.



At the meeting, it was also announced that four members retired from the board: Rocco Cingari of Grade A Market; Bernard Kenny of Delaware Supermarkets; Joel Perlmutter of Perlmart; and James Sumas of Village Super Market.



In addition, it was announced that four new members — Jordan Coe of Waverly Markets,; Harry Garafalo of Milford Markets; Nicholas Sumas of Village Super Market; and David Zallie of Somerset Stores — would be added to the board, effective immediately.

“The strength of our cooperative lies in the strength of our family businesses and their enduring commitment to their customers, which is handed down from generation to generation,” said Colalillo. “The decades of service, wisdom and expertise that Rocky, Bernie, Jim and Joel have brought to Wakefern will continue to guide us as we move forward as a company. They will remain active in their own companies and at the Wakefern committees on which they serve. We welcome our new members and look forward to their new perspective on our businesses and their contributions to future successes.”



“Year after year, Wakefern continues to grow and adapt to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry and an increasingly demanding customer,” added Sheridan, who was re-elected as president and COO during the meeting. “After more than 65 years in this business, we rely on the lessons from past successes, while always looking to the future for new and better ways to help our members succeed.”



Also at Thursday’s meeting, Wakefern shareholders re-elected to the board: Colalillo as chairman and CEO; Larri Wolfson and Irv Glass as vice chairmen; Lawrence Inserra, Jr, treasurer; Richard Saker, Jeffrey Brown and Kenneth Capano as assistant treasurers; Dominick J. Romano as secretary; Ned Gladstein and Steven Ravitz as assistant secretaries; as well as Robert Clare, Lawrence Collins, Jon Greenfield, Charles Infusino, Vincent Lo Curcio III, Leonard Sitar, Richard Tully and Richard McMenamin.