Ralphs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ralphs Grocery Company | |
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| Type | Subsidiary |
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| Founded | 1873 (Los Angeles, California) |
| Headquarters | Compton, California [1] |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor |
| Parent | Kroger |
| Website | www.ralphs.com |
Ralphs Grocery Company is a major supermarket chain in the Southern California area. It is the oldest such chain west of the Mississippi River. Ralphs Grocery Company is the largest supermarket division of Cincinnati, Ohio-based retail conglomerate Kroger. In addition to Ralphs supermarkets, the Ralphs Grocery Company operates stores under the Cala Foods, Bell Markets, Food-4-Less, and FoodsCo names in California as well as PriceRite stores in Nevada. PriceRite stores either closed or converted to Food-4-Less.
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[edit] History
Ralphs Grocery Company was founded in 1873 in downtown Los Angeles by George Albert Ralphs. In the twentieth century it became a grocery pioneer, offering self-service markets with checkout stands in distributed locations. In the 1980s it created a chain of hybrid supermarket/warehouse stores called The Giant (unrelated to Northeastern chain Giant Food) which failed, but the concept returned with the company's merger with the Food 4 Less discount chain. During the mid-1990's, Ralphs expanded as it merged with many Southern California supermakets including The Boys, Alpha Beta, Viva, and ABC Markets. Ralphs Grocery Company merged with Fred Meyer, Inc in 1997. In 1999 Fred Meyer, Inc, parent company of Ralphs, merged with The Kroger Co. The company slogan is First in California.
In 1999, Ralphs purchased about 30 Albertsons and Lucky Stores, mostly in northern California. The stores were divested as a result of the Albertsons and American Stores merger. Ralphs operated the stores until an announcement in January 2006, when they announced that all but one Ralphs in northern California would close. In August 2006, the one remaining Ralphs in northern California was given a 60 day notice of closure. Also in August 2006, Ralphs finalized plans to sell 11 (of 13 remaining) Cala-Bell Stores to Harley DeLano, who previously ran the chain. Ralphs expansion into northern California did not work out.
[edit] 2003–2004 strike
Ralphs Grocery Company has contracts with the United Food and Commercial Workers, the largest grocery union in the United States. In late 2003 and early 2004, Ralphs locked out its workers who were members of the UFCW in sympathy with competitor Vons (owned by Safeway Inc.) in Southern California, after the UFCW had declared a strike against Vons. The issues in contract negotiations included healthcare benefits and wage structure, which the supermarkets contended were necessary to reduce their costs and make themselves competitive with discount chains such as Wal-Mart. In March 2004, the strike ended with a settlement regarded as a victory for the grocery chains: new hires would be on a much lower pay scale than existing workers and receive far less generous health benefits.
On October 16, 2006, Ralphs agreed to pay $70 million to settle felony charges that it illegally rehired locked out employees using false names and social security numbers during the strike. $50 million of the settlement will be paid to eligible UFCW members, with the remainder being paid in fines to the Federal government. [2]
[edit] In pop culture
- Ralphs appeared in the film Gus towards the end of the film.
- Ralphs also appears in the film The Big Lebowski in the beginning as does the Ralphs membership card and shopping cart. Walter asks a character towards the end of a movie "Is there a Ralphs around here?"
- Ralphs is mentioned by Seth Cohen in the third season of the television series The OC.
- Ralphs was featured in the 9/11 commission report.
- Ralphs sponsored a task for The Apprentice 6
- Ralphs also appears in Frank Zappa's half-hour story-song Billy the Mountain, which first appeared on The Mothers' album Just Another Band from L.A. in 1972. It is there that Studebaker Hawk, the story's "hero," buys parts of his unusual costume.
[edit] References
1. Ralphs to Pay $70 Million in Settlement (San Diego Union Tribune)
[edit] See also
| The Kroger Company | |
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Corporate Directors: David B. Dillon | Robert D. Beyer | John T. LaMacchia | Edward M. Liddy | Katherine D. Ortega | Bobby S. Shackouls | John L. Clendenin | David B. Lewis | Susan M. Phillips | Reuben V. Anderson | Don W. McGeorge | W. Rodney McMullen | Clyde R. Moore | Steven R. Rogel | James A. Runde | |
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Chains owned by: Baker's | Cala Foods | Dillons | Food 4 Less & Foods Co. | Fred Meyer | Fred Meyer Jewelers | Fry's Food and Drug | Gerbes | Hilander | JayC | King Soopers & City Market | Kroger Food and Drug | Loaf 'N Jug | Owen's Market | Pay Less Food Markets | Quality Food Centers | Ralphs | Smith's Food and Drug | |
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Net revenue: $60.55 billion USD ( |
