Smitty's (retailer)
Smitty's was the name for two supermarket chains.
Smitty's (Arizona)
Smitty's was founded by Clyde Smith in 1961. Early stores carried the Smitty's Big Town name; certain locations also operated under the Xtra name toward the end of the chain's existence. Smitty's was purchased by Smith's Food and Drug in 1996, who continued to operate the stores under the Smitty's banner. The purchase of Smith's by Fred Meyer in 1997 caused the majority of Smitty's stores to be rebranded Fred Meyer Marketplace. Fred Meyer was subsequently purchased by Kroger, and the stores were rebranded "Frys Marketplace" Also at that time, all remaining "Smitty's" and Smith's stores were rolled into the brand. Some locations closed, but in a few instances competing stores remained in place. For example, Rural Rd and Ray Rd in Chandler, AZ. The northwest corner of the intersection is a Fry's Marketplace, and the southeast corner a Fry's Food Store.
Smitty's locations were unique in that they included grocery and non-grocery items of various types under the same roof as well as food service, years before discount chains, warehouse clubs, or supercenters such as Walmart became mainstream. Smitty's stores included departments such as clothing, sporting goods, shoes, a garden center, office supplies, and housewares. Many of the supermarket locations also featured a full-service restaurant in addition to a candy counter and quick-serve snack/pizza counter.
Controversy
In the mid 1990s, Smitty's became the first Arizona retailer to remain open on Christmas Day, sparking considerable criticism. In the end, the actions were the start of a trend that ended the voluntary moratorium on grocery sales on late Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Smitty's (Missouri)
Smitty's was a chain of supermarkets headquartered in Springfield, Missouri and served the surrounding Southwest Missouri area. The 10-store chain was acquired by Albertsons, Inc. in the late 1990s, which rebranded the stores Albertsons. In 2002, Albertsons exited the market, selling the stores to Price Cutter, who has kept one store branded Smitty's, while the rest have been branded Price Cutter.