District Grocery Stores (DGS) was a cooperative of small single-room grocery stores in Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. It operated from 1921 to 1972.[1] The goal was to leverage the volume of purchasing power of the cooperative to negotiate better prices from wholesalers and therefore improve their competitiveness. The cooperative started with 20 members and grew to 300 members at its peak, most of whom were Jewish immigrant families from Europe. The stores were located across the Washington metropolitan area.[2]
DGS ad in the Evening Star, November 11, 1921 - First logo
The District Grocery Society started in 1921 with 20 members. Meeting in Mike Hornstein's store, these store owners organized a cooperative organization to stop declining sales and avoid closure of their stores.[3] The cooperative was originally named District Grocery Society, as visible in its early advertisements. In 1928, the name was changed to District Grocery Stores while retaining the same initials, D.G.S.[4]
Its early motto was "The Grocery Chain of Personal Owners" and later became "The Owner is Your Neighbor". Several version of the logo were used over the years in the various advertisement published in the local newspapers.[5][6] By the 1960s, many of the stores in the area used a distinctive orange and green sign.
District Grocery Society Logo (1921)
District Grocery Society Logo (1922)
District Grocery Stores Logo (1930s)
District Grocery Stores Logo (1940s and early 1950s)
District Grocery Stores Logo (Late 1950s)
The membership fee to join was $2,500, and the distance between other members' stores could not be less than two city blocks. In exchange, the members would be able to buy goods at cost from the cooperative and leverage the advertising campaigns the cooperative was running in the local newspapers.[2] When the number of members was still low, the store addresses were listed on the ad. However, as the number grew, the ads started referencing the local phone book to find the nearest DGS store.
DGS ad in the Washington Times, June 13, 1922 - Second logo and motto
In 1963, it cost $6 to $20 a week (depending on sales volume) for a store to use the DGS name and sign to cover advertising costs. A store could keep its independent name if they wished while still purchasing goods at the DGS price.[7]
Stores also offered free deliveries of groceries to their customers.[8] The free deliveries were handled by the cooperative using its fleet of orange DGS trucks. The service was explained in ads published in newspapers, such as this one from 1954:
"Go to the D.G.S. store near your home. Make your selection of crisp, dewy fresh produce, nationally-known groceries and tender, high-quality meats, cut for your individual, specific needs. Then, "feel free and easy!" You've no problems about getting your purchases home. Your D.G.S. Grocer will be glad to send your order right to your kitchen."
—District Grocery Stores, Display Ad, Apr 9, 1954, The Washington Post, pg. 18
Most stores also offered credit as it was customary at the time to do so.[8]
Independent ownership
The stores were not owned by the District Grocery Stores cooperative but were individually owned by independent grocers. Most stores were set up as a single room on the ground floor on the property with the family living above or behind the store. This allowed the store to remain open for very long hours and offered plenty of labor to serve the customers with children helping their parents when not in school.[2]
The first generation often spoke Yiddish as a first language and learned English while interacting with customers and reading labels on canned goods. The second-generation was expected to help in the store but were also attending local schools where they learned English.[2]
District Grocery Stores truck
Interior of a DGS store
Interior of a DGS store
The DGS Warehouse
Designed and built under the leadership of Isaac Jacobson, a new warehouse opened at 4th St and D St SW in 1941 for the cooperative's 20th anniversary. This warehouse was featured prominently in several DGS ads. Build by Jeffrey-Dyer, Inc. at the cost of $750,000, it covered two city blocks (from 4th St to 6th St SW).[9] It could handle the volume as well as the new demands of the market with its 135,000 square feet of storage.
It had a fresh meat department, frozen food, as well as banana-ripening room.[10] DGS received several congratulations from other local businesses, including its builder.[11]
In 1942, the warehouse provided the setting for the War Bonds performance hosted by DGS.[12]
In 1953, DGS president Louis Fox announced a new self-serve cash and carry service, opening the DGS warehouse for the first time to non-members. By that time, the District Grocery Stores were making 14 million dollars a year.[13]
District Grocery Store warehouse on 4th Street SW
District Grocery Store warehouse – Unloading a meat train
Cutting beef in the District Grocery Store warehouse
District Grocery Store warehouse – Banana-ripening room
District grocery Store warehouse – Produce
District Grocery Store warehouse – Grocery Department
District Grocery Store warehouse – Full-time on-call engineer responsible for AC, Coldrooms, and storerooms
Ethnicity
The cooperative was mainly Jewish in its membership. Between 1880 and 1924, European Jews immigrated to the United States in mass fleeing poverty and antisemitism in Europe. The already established Jewish community supported their arrival. These were often relatives or other members of the village or area in Europe.[2]
Thousands made it to the Washington area, and the newcomers often only spoke the Yiddish language. Several hundreds of these newcomers would open these small "Mom and Pop" neighborhood grocery stores as they required only a limited start-up capital and only some English. Often, both of these resources could be acquired by becoming an apprentice in a family member's store.[2]
There were several Yiddish newspapers available in the Washington, D.C., area, including The Forward and many store owners were very involved in the local synagogues and the life of the Jewish community.[2] Many of these Jewish cultural centers remain today such as the Sixth & I Synagogue.
The stores were open seven days a week and were often only closed half a day on Sundays. Despite the overwhelming number of store owners being Jewish, the stores remained open on Saturdays because these stores were often located in non-Jewish neighborhoods. This made it challenging to observe the Sabbath and retain a traditional Jewish life. Some stores did close on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.[2]
Many non-Kosher items were sold in the stores, such as pork products as these stores were catering to non-Jewish customers in the neighborhood.[2] These items were also advertised in the local newspapers by DGS and customers expected to see them in their local grocery store.[5][6]
DGS's size allowed it to oppose the antisemitism its members experienced in business and social relations by threatening to boycott food manufacturers that engaged in discriminatory practices.[2]
Social activities and involvement
Due to its size, the cooperative became a powerful social group. Many events were organized by the cooperative to allow members to socialize.
The organization supported sports such as bowling and baseball. In the 1930s and 1940s, the DGS Bowling League was organized. A team also competed in the Merchants League against other local companies such as Coca-Cola and Penn Electric Company.[10][14] The District Grocery Stores Nine played in a local baseball league in the 1930s.[15]
Starting in 1926, the annual banquets became an important part of the year for many grocers and their families around the city.[16]
Food shows were also organized in 1932 and 1933. During those shows spread over several days, food manufactures showcased their products. Various contests with prizes were organized, such as baby beauty contests, costume contests, pie-eating contests, dance competitions, and the "Washington's most loquacious woman" competition.[17][18]
During World War II, DGS aided the war effort. On April 28, 1942, the newly opened DGS warehouse hosted a show featuring George Jessel, Sophie Tucker, Imogen Carpenter and Betty Bruce, which was organized to sell War Bonds and Stamps. By that time, $500,000 in War Bonds had already been purchased by DGS's 276 members and its employees.[12]
Timeline
1921: The District Grocery Society was started in the store of Mike Hornstein located on 18th Street NW.[2] William M. Hornstein becomes its first president.[4]
The first warehouse was located in one of the member's basement located at 3929 13th St NW.[1]
1937: Plans for a new warehouse were announced by Isaac Jacobson, president of DGS.
January 3, 1940: Isaac Jacobson is re-elected as president of the cooperative for the tenth time.[19]
May 21, 1940: Ground Breaking for the new Warehouse by Isaac Jacobson, president of DGS.[9]
1941: The new warehouse opened at 4th St and D St SW for the 20th anniversary of the District Grocery Stores.[20]
January 3, 1944: Paul D. Kaufman succeeds Isaac Jacobson as president of DGS.[21]
1949: Joseph Muchmick becomes president of DGS.[22]
1950: Paul D. Kaufman is elected president of DGS as he was between 1944 and 1949.[22]
1951: Louis Fox becomes president. He is the youngest president at age 33.[23]
April 3, 1952: The District Grocery Stores elect their first female director, Sarah Smotrich (who operates Sara's Market), to a two-year term.[24]
1953: On July 7, a new self-serve cash and carry service[13] Later that year, the District Grocery Stores merge with United Food Stores, one of its competing cooperative.[25]
June 1, 1955: DGS merges with Nation-Wide Food Stores, another grocers cooperative founded in 1936.[26]
DGS was also facing competition from other cooperatives such as the United Food Stores (until they merged in 1953), the Associated Grocers of Washington, and Washington Wholesale Independent Grocers. These cooperatives also attracted a large number of Jewish grocers.[2]
The competition also included new supermarkets. While mostly located in the suburbs, some supermarkets were started to be located in the city and directly competing with these family-owned stores. Some of the small owners grow their businesses to become local chains of supermarkets or moving on into the liquor store business.[2]
September 1, 1955: Following the resignation of Louis Fox that same day, Sam Klein becomes president of DGS.[25]
1957: Sam Klein retires. Henry Noon is elected president of DGS.[27]
March 23, 1967: Henry Noon dies of a heart attack.[28] Francis M. Hawkins Jr. becomes acting president.[29]
April 22, 1967: Jerome J. Litvin becomes president of DGS.[29]
April 4–8, 1968: In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, leading to major riots in Washington DC. The National Guard was called in to restore order. Many businesses were burned or destroyed along the H Street Corridor, 7th St NW and 14th St NW. Some of these were DGS stores owned by Jewish store owners already struggling with the competition of supermarkets. Twenty-eight stores never re-opened, and many moved their families to the suburbs where they feel safer.[1][2] On April 9, 1968, a notice is published in The Washington Post in partnership with several other grocery stores and supermarkets informing the public that all of their stores will be closed in memoriam of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.[30]
1972: A unanimous vote of its members dissolves District Grocery Stores (DGS). The cooperative had been losing money for several years. The individual stores were to remain and run independently. It had 77 members, 300 associates, and about 1200 "cash and carry" customers. It also has a fleet of 17 trucks. The warehouse was sold to the Redevelopment Land Agency, the city's urban renewal agency, for an undisclosed price.[1]
Legacy
In 1973, a group of former District Grocery Stores members formed the Richmond Food Store cooperative. The following week, a second group of former members formed the Farm House-DGS label with funding from M. Loeb Corp., a Canadian wholesaler. Both groups attempted to attract former members in an attempt to boost their buying power.[31]
In 1994, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington organized an exhibit to present the history of the District Grocery Stores at the Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum. Hundreds of people gathered for the exhibit's opening, many having grown up in the stores or shopped there in their childhood.[32] The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington maintains a website called Half a Day on Sunday: Jewish-Owned “Mom and Pop” Grocery Stores along with a database of all the stores that were part of the District Grocery Stores.[33]
While the cooperative was dissolved in 1972, many remember the neighborhood stores of their childhood.[34][35] For the children of those who grow up in the stores, the memories are of long hours and hard work which pushed many of them to continue their education to better their situation in the spirit of the American Dream their parents had dreamed of.[33]
In 2012, the Washington, D.C., restaurant DGS Delicatessen in Dupont Circle paid homage to the memory of the local "Mom and Pop" grocery store when it opened,.[36] However, it was unrelated to the District Grocery Stores cooperative.[37] Like the Cooperative, it eventually closed on February 11, 2018.[38]
A grocery store (AE), grocery shop (BE) or simply grocery is a foodservice retail store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, and is not used to refer to other types of stores that sell groceries. In the UK, shops that sell food are distinguished as grocers or grocery shops (though in everyday use, people usually use either the term "supermarket" or a "corner shop".
Traditionally, a delicatessen or deli is a grocery that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th century. European immigrants to the United States, especially Ashkenazi Jews, popularized the delicatessen in U.S. culture beginning in the late 19th century. Today, many large retail stores like supermarkets have deli sections.
The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States.
Wakefern Food Corporation is an American company that was founded in 1946 and is based in Keasbey, New Jersey. It is the largest retailers' cooperative group of supermarkets and the fourth-largest cooperative of any kind in the United States. Wakefern was the largest private employer in New Jersey in 2018, with 40,200 employees. As of 2023, Wakefern has 48 member companies who own and operate 365 supermarkets, under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market brands in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
ShopRite is an American retailers' cooperative of supermarkets with stores in six states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Price Rite is a chain of supermarkets found in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Based in Keasbey, New Jersey, Price Rite is owned by New Jersey-based Wakefern Food Corporation, the cooperative behind ShopRite Supermarkets, Dearborn Market, and The Fresh Grocer. Prior to 2014, Wakefern owned and operated all Price Rite stores.
Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG) is the United States's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets and grocery stores. It serves more than 4,000 locations in 36 states and from 8 full-line wholesale divisions. The consolidated run-rate sales for AWG is close to $10 billion. In addition to its cooperative wholesale operations, the company also operates subsidiary companies which provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, digital marketing services, and is a wholesale supply provider of health and beauty care, general merchandise, specialty/international foods and pharmaceutical supplies. It was founded in 1924 as Associated Grocers of Kansas City and was based in Kansas City, Missouri before moving to Kansas City, Kansas. Associated Wholesale Grocers distributes four private-label brands of grocery products, Best Choice, Clearly Organic, Always Save, and Superior Selections along with IGA.
Foodtown is a northeastern United States supermarket cooperative founded in 1955 by Twin County Grocers in New Jersey. Currently, there are 66 Foodtown stores in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Foodtown's corporate offices are located in Iselin, New Jersey.
Food 4 Less is the name of several grocery store chains, the largest of which is currently owned by Kroger. It is a no-frills grocery store where the customers bag their own groceries at the checkout. Kroger operates Food 4 Less stores in the Chicago metropolitan area and in Southern California. Kroger operates their stores as Foods Co. in northern and central California, including Bakersfield and the Central Coast, because they do not have the rights to the Food 4 Less name in those areas. Other states, such as Nevada, formerly contained Kroger-owned Food 4 Less stores.
C&S Wholesale Grocers is a national wholesale grocery supply company in the United States, based in Keene, New Hampshire. In 2021 it was the eighth-largest privately held company in the United States, as listed by Forbes. C&S operates and supports corporate grocery stores and services independent franchisees under a chain-style model throughout the Midwest, South and Northeast. C&S owns the Piggly Wiggly grocery brand, which is independently franchised to store operators, the Grand Union supermarkets brand, as well as several private label brands, including Best Yet.
Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, also known as Shoppers Food Warehouse, is a chain of 22 supermarkets located in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. Shoppers has fresh produce, Swift Angus beef, Smithfield natural pork, all-natural chicken, Dietz & Watson delis, fresh seafood, steamed shrimp, as well as hot food bars.
Giant Food of Maryland, LLC is an American regional supermarket chain with 166 stores located in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. It is a subsidiary of Ahold Delhaize, and headquartered in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, near Landover.
Associated Foods Holdings, also referred to as Associated Food Stores, Associated Supermarkets or Associated, is the largest group of independently operated supermarkets based in the New York metropolitan area. Associated Supermarkets provide services to a network of approximately 250 independent grocery retail stores, many located in New York City. The company also has stores on Long Island, in Upstate New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Associated is a banner of Associated Supermarket Group (ASG). Other banners include Compare, Met Foods and Pioneer Supermarkets. Both Associated and Compare banners are known to cater to multicultural demographics. Associated and all sister banner stores carry mainstream, ethnic, natural, and organic products and its private label Avenue A.
PCC Community Markets is a food cooperative based in Seattle, Washington. With over 114,000 members, it is the largest consumer-owned food cooperative in the United States. Both members and non-members may shop at the retail locations, but members receive certain discounts. The organization currently operates fifteen retail locations. Eight of the fifteen stores are located in Seattle. The West Seattle location reopened on October 2, 2019. The other seven are located in Issaquah, Kirkland, Burien, Bothell, Redmond, Edmonds and Bellevue.
Delchamps was a chain of supermarkets along the central Gulf Coast of the United States, headquartered in Mobile, Alabama. At the time of its acquisition in 1997, the company had 118 supermarkets in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida and its stock was public traded on NASDAQ under DLCH.
Food-A-Rama was a Baltimore, Maryland based-supermarket chain of 48 stores established in 1960. The stores were located in Maryland and Washington, DC. They consisted of Food-a-Rama, Super-Super, Cost-Saver Warehouse, and Basics Food Warehouse stores. When the company was sold in 1985 to Super Rite Foods of PA, it was the second-largest supermarket chain in Baltimore, behind Giant Food. After the sale, stores were bought and sold eventually changing all the store banners to Metro Food Markets. Super Rite and Basics/Metro Food Markets were acquired by Richfood Holdings in 1995. Richfood Holdings was sold to Supervalu Inc. in 1999. Supervalu has since folded Metro Food Markets into the Shoppers Food Warehouse chain based in Lanham, MD.
Redner's Markets, Inc. is a privately held, American supermarket chain headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania. Redner's is an employee-owned company that is wholly owned by present and past employees and members of the Redner family. In 2012, 48% was owned by Redner's employees and 52% by the Redner family. Redner's operates stores throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland. The chain has a distribution warehouse located in Maidencreek Township, Pennsylvania.
An online grocer is a supermarket or grocery store that allows ordering via websites or mobile apps. The order can either be collected by the customer or delivered to the customer by drivers engaged by the grocer, a food delivery service, or by delivery drones and robots.
Strack & Van Til is a grocery store chain with locations in Northwest Indiana. Stores operate under the banners of Strack & Van Til and Town & Country Food Market.
Central Grocers Cooperative, founded in 1917 as Central Wholesale Grocers, was a retailers' cooperative based in Joliet, Illinois, near Chicago. It distributed both brand name and private label goods branded as Centrella and Silver Cup Value Buy to about 400 member-owner grocery stores in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
References
1 2 3 4 Supermarket Era Closes Cooperative" by William H. Jones, The Washington Post and Times-Herald (1959-1973); November 13, 1972, p.C1
↑ "Small Stores Thrive by Cooperation" by William J. Raspberry, The Washington Post and Times-Herald (1959-1973); February 10, 1963; p.B7
1 2 "Long Route From Wholesaler", February 28, 1941, The Washington Post, pg. 22
1 2 "Breaks Ground For Warehouse", The Washington Post (1923-1954); May 22, 1940, pg. 6
1 2 "D.G.S. Celebrates 20th Anniversary with New Warehouse", February 28, 1941; The Washington Post, pg. 21
↑ Display Advertisements, Feb 28, 1941, The Washington Post, p. 16
1 2 War Bond Ad, Apr 27, 1942, The Washington Post, pg. 12
1 2 D.G.S. to Open New Service, Jul 7, 1953, The Washington Post, pg. 12
↑ "The Washington Post's Weekly Round-Up Of Bowling League Standings", January 18, 1931, The Washington Post, pg. M20
↑ "D.G.S. Nine to Meet", February 19, 1931, The Washington Post, pg. 15
1 2 "District Grocery Plans Banquet" by Robert C. Albright, February 5, 1929, The Washington Post, pg. 24
↑ "Food Show Opens Tomorrow Night"; November 8, 1932, The Washington Post, pg. 11
↑ "Isabel Hamilton Wins Dance Test: Girl Who Captured Food Show Prize Last Year Repeats", November 12, 1932, The Washington Post, pg. 3
↑ "District Grocery Stores Re-elect Isaac Jacobsen", January 3, 1940, pg. 24
↑ D.G.S. Head Is Merchant In Own Right, Feb 28, 1941, The Washington Post, pg. 21
↑ DGS Election Names Kerman As President, Jan 5, 1944, The Washington Post, pg. B1
1 2 Paul Kerman Named DGS President, Jan 5, 1950, The Washington Post, pg. 9
↑ "Louis Fox Heads DGS Food Stores", March 28, 1951, The Washington Post, pg. 7
↑ "Woman Named D.G.S. Director For First Time", April 3, 1952, The Washington Post, pg. 22
1 2 Sam Klein Elected President of DGS by Alexander Henderson Staff Reporter, Sep 1, 1955, The Washington Post, pg. 30
↑ "Two Grocery Groups Here Will Combine" by S. Oliver Goodman, May 11, 1955, The Washington Post, pg. 1
↑ DGS Names Henry Noon To Top Post, Mar 27, 1957, The Washington Post, pg. D5
↑ Henry Noon, Head Of DGS Groceries, Mar 24, 1967, The Washington Post, pg. B6
1 2 New DGS Officers, by S. Oliver Goodman Washington Post Staff Writer, Apr 22, 1967, The Washington Post, pg. 60
↑ In Memoriam, Apr 9, 1968, The Washington Post, pg. A24
↑ "Second DGS Unit Formed" by William H. Jones, February 16, 1973, The Washington Post, pg. D12
↑ Noshing On the Good Ol' Days: The Jewish Historical Society's Taste of Mom-and-Pops of the Past by Eugene Meyer, Apr 11, 1994, The Washington Post, pg. B1
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
