Vote Top AFS Stories of 2024

In 2024, Associated Food Stores continues to adapt and excel in a rapidly changing business environment. This year has been marked by resilience, growth, and strategic progress, all driven by a commitment to delivering value to AFS members and meeting the challenges of a dynamic industry landscape.

Explore the key stories from 2024 that highlight AFS’s achievements, adaptability, and contributions to its members and the communities they serve.

Associated Food Stores set an all-time sales record the week of December 15 to December 21. With more than $52 million in wholesale sales, the week’s totals exceeded the previous record set last year. While ongoing inflation is a factor, the collaborative effort and teamwork throughout the company is driving extraordinary results. 

Project ROAR is Associated Food Stores’ initiative to ensure the Farr West Distribution Center remains a full-service, state-of-the-art facility both now and in the future. The multi-million-dollar project made great strides in 2024. Project ROAR will lead to important benefits throughout the company including:
  • Increased speed, accuracy, and efficiency throughout the organization.
  • Alleviate unavoidable labor challenges.
  • Enhanced ability to meet the increasing demands of retailers and their customers.
  • Improved efficiency for retail team members. As an example, pallets will arrive based on store schematic to save both time and labor expenses.
In September, AFS board members toured the Farr West Distribution Center to see the progress. See the latest video here. The company considers Project ROAR a significant investment foundational to the future of “One Associated” that is fully expected to generate future returns for its member-owners.
Members of Associated Food Stores saw significant growth in 2024. Madison Foods, Lee’s, Stokes, Harmons and Campus Corner Market (Utah Tech) either built new stores or had substantial remodels. Many others made noteworthy improvements as well. As AFS members strive to meet the needs of their communities, financial success follows and many members have experienced impressive results as they continue their commitment and dedication.  

ARO Continues Success

Associated Retail Operations, AFS’ corporate stores, experienced important growth in 2024. The brand conversion and remodel of the Macey’s Market Sugarhouse store was a key milestone, marking a significant upgrade to the location. Watch the video of the grand opening here.

The group also reopened a store that had been closed for several years in Sandy, now called Macey’s Market Little Cottonwood. The grand-opening video can be viewed here. A new ACE Hardware store was added in Price and is showing tremendous results and the Macey’s in Pleasant Grove was remodeled from floor to ceiling as well. The grand-opening video can be viewed here. Lin’s also made several extraordinary improvements through highly strategic “small ball” projects leading to widespread results for the Southern Utah stores.

Associated Food Stores continued its tradition of hosting regional gatherings, called Retailer Connection meetings across AFS’ service area. Over six weeks, meetings took place in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado, fostering discussions on diverse topics and presentations.  

The meetings allow member retailers to make suggestions, ask questions and receive updates on AFS’ key initiatives.

Sales of Exclusive Brands again topped $400 million in 2024. 

While sales were impressive across many of the company’s Exclusive Brands, several stars stood out as particularly notable. With amazing appetizers, mouthwatering pizzas, scrumptious cookies, frozen desserts and breakfast sandwiches, cozy comfort food and much more, Crav’n Flavor has continued to be an important part of AFS’ brand portfolio. 

The Exclusive Brands Team also introduced Red Button Vintage Creamery frozen gourmet cookies, a decadent addition to the brand’s already impressive dessert selections. These ready-to-bake cookies promise a bakery-style experience right from the freezer. Alongside the frozen cookies, the brand will launch cotton candy in an assortment of flavors. Cotton candy is a trending item and matches up well with the brand’s nostalgic roots. 

The AFS Annual Business Meeting and FoodShow are time-honored traditions of Associated Food Stores. For more than 80 years, retailers have gathered to learn about company progress, talk with vendors and interact with fellow retailers. The annual business meeting kicked off 2024’s event on the evening of March 19 with a comprehensive report on financial results and exciting executive team presentations. The following days were filled with buying and interaction as hundreds of retailers, team members and vendors gathered at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.

In 2024, Associated Food Stores actively engaged in many charitable initiatives to support communities in need. In March, AFS partnered with the Utah Food Bank for the Feed Utah food drive, collecting over 783,225 pounds of food—more than triple the previous year’s total—to provide approximately 652,688 meals to Utahns facing hunger. 

The Associated Retail Operations’ team conducted a school supply drive, raising over $77,000 to support local schools. This initiative reflects AFS’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and support for education. 

Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in September, AFS collaborated with retailers such as Lee’s Marketplace and Food City to raise over $73,825 for the United Way of Southwest Virginia, aiding disaster recovery and basic-needs supplies for affected families. 

Additionally, in December, AFS and Kent’s Market donated $40,000 to Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City during the hospital’s annual patient holiday event, contributing to the well-being of pediatric patients. 

These efforts, and many others, reflect AFS’s commitment to enriching lives and supporting communities through meaningful partnerships and charitable contributions.

The Donald P. Lloyd Spirit of Independents award is presented to a member retailer who exemplifies the strength of character, mental fortitude and steadfast determination of the company’s founder. The award is presented to the recipient at the Associated Food Stores’ annual meeting. In 2024, the award was presented to Jerry and Connie Ridley.

Over the past 40 years the Ridley’s have continued to expand their business. Today, now under son Mark’s leadership, Ridley’s has grown to 28 stores, employing over 2,000 team members in five states.

In 2024, Associated Food Stores honored two distinguished team members with prestigious  awards:

  • Todd Bell: Recognized with the “One Associated” award, Todd exemplifies leadership, commitment, and dedication to AFS’s mission. This accolade highlights his significant contributions to the company’s success.
  • Lezlie Sanders: Awarded “The Heart of Associated” honor, Lezlie’s exceptional leadership and compassionate service embody AFS’s core values. Her dedication has been instrumental in enriching lives within the AFS community. Lezlie retired in 2024.

These awards underscore AFS’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating the outstanding contributions of its team members.

In 2024, Associated Food Stores made significant strides in modernizing retail operations with the continued rollout of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs). Over the year, the ESL team traveled to 45 stores, installing an impressive 495,000 tags.

These labels not only streamlined pricing updates but also introduced new features and enhanced templates like “Big Savings.” Additionally, ESLs now display product attributes such as “Gluten-Free” and “Keto,” helping customers make informed decisions with ease. This initiative reflects AFS’s commitment to leveraging technology for a more efficient and engaging shopping experience.

Vote Here

After reviewing the top stories of 2024, it’s now time to vote for the top five. Click the link to vote or submit any stories not currently on the list.