MONTGOMERY / DADEVILLE – “It’s no wonder that Renfroe’s Market was recently voted the best grocery store in Alabama,” the 2018 Retailer of the Year judges said about the family owned business currently operating two stores in Montgomery and one in Dadeville. A Phenix City Renfroe’s is expected to open in 2019.

The judges described the business as nimble, innovative and “shooting for the best experience” for its customers. For those reasons, the Renfroe’s Market team earned the 2018 Gold Alabama Retailer of the Year Award in the Annual Sales More Than $20 Million category. Robert Renfroe owns the regional chain, while his son, Rob Renfroe, serves as vice president. The Alabama Retail Association honored Renfroe’s Market today at the Alabama Retail Day luncheon in Birmingham. Carr, Riggs & Ingram CPAs and Advisors, Slappey Communications and the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business were the luncheon sponsors.

“There’s not many hometown grocery stores anymore, and this one is the best,” said Michelle Locke, who nominated Renfroe’s Market for the award. Her husband, David Locke, is Renfroe’s operations manager. “My husband started out with the original Bruno’s and is happy to have found the Renfroe family. He is back to running a grocery store the way it should be.”

Rob Renfroe said being locally owned means the Renfroe’s Market team can “be in our communities, know what our customers want, speak with customers directly and carry the items that they are looking for.” Based on reviews found on Google, Yelp, Foursquare and Facebook, The Daily Meal, a culinary website, chose Renfroe’s Market as the Best Grocery Store in Alabama for 2018.

“We’ve established a brand, so people know they can go to any of our stores and get the same customer service, same pricing and same overall experience that is second to none,” said Rob Renfroe, who joined the family business in 2006. After almost three decades in the wholesale side of the grocery industry, Robert Renfroe opened his first grocery store in 1996. The stores operated under three different names until the summer of 2016, when they were all rebranded under the family name.

The Renfroe’s stores are known for carrying a large selection of Alabama products and craft beers. This year, Renfroe’s launched an e-commerce platform at two of its stores, which allows customers to shop online, come to the store at a specific time, park in a designated “Renfroe’s To Go” parking space and have their online order delivered to their car. “We see this as a vital piece of the grocery industry moving forward,” the Renfroes said in their entry.

“The Renfroe’s Market team members are retailers of the year EVERY year to the Renfroe’s Market customers, its more than 200 employees as well as the Montgomery and Dadeville communities,” said Alabama Retail Association President Rick Brown. Robert Renfroe said, “We could not do this without our employees.”

Renfroe’s Market, an Alabama Retail Association member since 1997, was one of 13 Retailers of the Year honored at today’s luncheon. This year’s winners came from a pool of almost 100 nominees.

Full list of this year’s Retailers of the Year

Previous Retailers of the Year

The Alabama Retail Association represents retailers, the largest private employer in the state of Alabama, before the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Congress. Through sales of food, clothing, furniture, medicine and more, our 4,200 independent merchant and national company members touch almost every aspect of daily living. Since 1943, we’ve worked to promote what’s best for the retail industry in Alabama. Whether voicing the retail view when public policy is made, educating members about issues that impact them, negotiating rates for benefits and services or communicating the retail story, the Alabama Retail Association and its members are better together.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Rob Renfroe, Renfroe’s Market | 334.324.2682
Nancy Dennis, Alabama Retail Association | 334.551.0643 | 800.239.5423
Melissa Warnke, Alabama Retail Association | 256.338.0621 | 800.239.5423