CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Progressive Grocer, the voice of the retail food industry since 1922, has unveiled its 2021 class of Outstanding Independents. Although the publication has been honoring the excellence of America's independent food retailers for the past decade, this year, in a departure from the norm, PG's annual awards pay tribute to the resilience and perseverance of indies during a particularly challenging time, along with one enterprising concept that's ripe for growth.
"The pandemic upended the usual plans of independents, requiring them to pivot on the fly," said Bridget Goldschmidt, PG's managing editor. "To recognize how certain grocers rose to the occasion despite having to grapple with the worst public-health crisis in more than a century, we made the decision to spotlight those businesses that were the most creative and undaunted in overcoming the myriad difficulties presented by COVID-19."
The 2021 class of Progressive Grocer Outstanding Independents are:
- Ball's Food Stores/SunFresh Market, Kansas City, Kan.
- Bi-Rite Market, San Francisco
- BriarPatch Food Co-op, Grass Valley, Calif.
- Burns' Family Neighborhood Market (The Fresh Grocer/ShopRite), Drexel Hill, Pa.
- Cedar Market, Teaneck, N.J.
- The Co-op Ozark Natural Foods, Fayetteville, Ark.
- Dorothy Lane Market, Dayton, Ohio
- Eddie's of Roland Park, Baltimore
- Greer's, Mobile, Ala.
- Kowalski's Markets, Woodbury, Minn.
- Little House Green Grocery, Richmond, Va.
- Macey's, Salt Lake City
- Menomonie Market Food Co-op, Menomonie, Wis.
- Nature's Food Patch, Clearwater, Fla.
- Northgate Gonzalez Market, Anaheim, Calif.
- Oliver's Market, Santa Rosa, Calif.
- Pomegranate Market, Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Thompson's County Market, Oconto, Wis.
- Trig's/T.A. Solberg Co. Inc., Wausau, Wis.
- Turnip Truck, Nashville, Tenn.
- Vegan Fine Foods, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
PG's first-ever Visionary designee, Black-owned Vegan Fine Brands, which offers an entirely vegan selection across its grocery store, café and body care boutique, may consist of just one location now, but its founder/CEO, Steven Smith, is determined to take the pioneering concept to underserved areas across the United States.
ABOUT US
Progressive Grocer has been leading the U.S. grocery industry since 1922. Its signature editorial approach of providing balanced perspectives in every story makes it the most trusted resource in retail business media. And with unique access to detailed data and insights from Nielsen, IRI, Mintel and others, along with proprietary in-house research, PG is the food retail industry's foremost source for industry trends, consumer trends, data and insights.
CONTACTS
Progressive Grocer
Bridget Goldschmidt
Managing Editor
US: +1 201 855 7603
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.progressivegrocer.com
Media Contact
Rebecca A. Martin, EnsembleIQ, +1 2485151811, [email protected]
SOURCE Progressive Grocer

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