Certified Grocers Midwest, Inc. - History

Certified Grocers Midwest Inc. was founded as a cooperative in 1940 by six founding members with fifty member stores. This group of retailers formed the co-op so that they could buy groceries at the lowest possible price and to permit them to more effectively compete with the "Chain Stores".

Certified Grocers Midwest has assets which include warehousing space in excess of twenty-five acres, and a fleet of tractors and trailers. Certified's Distribution Center in Hodgkins, Illinois has one million square feet under one roof, which encompasses the Grocery, Delicatessen, Produce and Fresh Meat Divisions.

The Frozen Food Division has a 92,000 square foot conventional warehouse of which 20,000 square feet is dedicated to Ice Cream and Bakery Frozen items which are kept at 20 below zero.

• Warehouse Volume, Variety and Service:



• Highest Total Warehouse (Wholesale) Volume of any Chicagoland Distribution Center



• Extensive Complement of Departments
• A full line of Grocery, Frozen Food, Ice Cream and Dairy, including Private Label
• The most complete selection and highest quality of Produce in the Market
• A complete Bakery Program, including a wide selection of variety breads, sweet goods, in-store bakery products of all types and Private Label
• Health & Beauty care and General Merchandise, including seasonal and continuity programs



• Advertising and Promotional Support
• Weekly features with aggressive pricing available in all divisions
• Prompt, full allowance pass-thru on all deals
• Roto advertising published 15-20 times per year
• Weekly Advertising Programs
• Assistance in writing weekly Meat, Fresh Deli and Produce Ads
• Full Catalina Checkout Coupon Program availability, including Supermarkets Online
• Buying show with full vendor participation



• Other Retail Services
• Field support in Produce, Fresh Meat and Bakery
• Wide Range of Host Support services from Weekly Price Changes to Electronic Invoices
• Assistance in Store Equipment purchasing and Retail Counseling



• Product Cost and Return to Members
• Wholesale pricing structure competitive with all others in Market
• Continued strong annual return to Members in All Divisions as high as 10%