Kings Food Markets is an upscale food market chain headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, with stores in northern New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Founded in 1936, Kings was bought by UK retailer Marks & Spencer in 1988 and later sold to a US investor group consisting of Angelo, Gordon & Co. and MTN Capital Partners LLC in 2006.
As of 2016, Kings' New Jersey competitors include ShopRite and Stop & Shop. The chain operates either in, or in close proximity to, affluent suburban towns, and its stores offer a mix of upscale and traditional grocery items.
In the 1980s, Kings was among the final supermarket chains to offer traditional S&H Green Stamps.
Their logistics and stock operations are led by Deryl Towns. He has led the grocery department with innovative measures, such as letting stock persons take very long breaks, and rest for 3-4 hours, during shifts, to increase crew morale and productivity. His assistant, Calvin Hogue, district head of grocery, helped implement these policies.
In 2009, Kings acquired Balducci's.
References
WDHA at Grand Opening of Kings Supermarket in Gillette - WDHA's Morning Jolt Co-Host Kim Mulligan talks about the Grand Opening of Kings Supermarket in Gillette with Kings Supermarket CEO, Judy Spires.
