Last updated on March 14th, 2016 at 11:25 am
America’s Food Basket (AFB) of Lake Success, New York, plans to expand in the Northeast. AFB is a 46-member cooperative that supports and unifies independent retail stores operating in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
AFB CEO Dan Cabassa says the the company leverages the size of its purchases and merchandising operations to deliver the best cost and efficiencies for its member stores. AFB stores, which sell groceries and provide payment services at its independent member retail locations, operate under three principle banners: America’s Food Basket, Ideal Food Basket and Superfi Emporium. The company also provides a line of grocery, dairy and fresh products under its private label brand called “Ideal.”
Cabassa said, “Our market has seen many changes as retailers contract and expand. While to some it is with great disappointment, to others changes come with a great welcome. This only signifies growth and sometimes needed changes in the marketplace. We are fortunate our business is growing as a result of all the support we continue to get and great partnerships.”
AFB recently announced its first Rhode Island store. The store is a former Compare and is located at 863 Broad Street in Providence.
AFB also has welcomed the former Fine Fare in Queens, New York, to the Ideal Food Basket family. The store is owned and operated by AFB President Carlos Espinal and is located at 108-02 Otis Avenue in Corona, New York. The store just completed its remodel.
Another new member, Essa Masoud, along with his brothers, recently expanded a store. The store is branded Balady Foods and is located in Brooklyn, New York. Cabassa says this store has not only expanded its conventional product offering but provides an expanded selection of Middle Eastern specialty products that cater specifically to the neighborhood.
AFB also plans an April 1 opening of a new store in Westchester, New York. It will be bannered Ideal Food Basket and is owned by AFB member Francisco Garcia of Lynn, Massachusetts, a multi-store owner.
Additionally, AFB is welcoming new members to the organization: David Vargas, Enrique Abinader and Jose Ramos. The partners will open their first store as an Ideal Marketplace in Clifton, New Jersey, in late summer.
Other AFB stores currently under construction in Connecticut and New York are slated to open later this year.
