Smart & Final

Smart & Final occupies this fascinating middle ground in the grocery world-kind of like if Costco and your neighborhood market had a baby. It's a chain of warehouse-style food and supply stores that's been around since 1871, operating as "the non-membership warehouse grocery store where households, businesses and organizations find great savings."

What makes them different? Well, they're targeting both regular families doing their weekly shopping and small businesses stocking up. They're here for "the Pop Warner snack mom, the office manager & the local church" as well as "the town's favorite family-owned pizzeria & food trucks." It's this dual identity that sets them apart.

With over 250 stores across the Western United States, they've carved out their niche by offering bulk sizes without requiring a membership fee. You can grab regular grocery items alongside restaurant-sized portions of ingredients. As one customer put it, "It's Costco without the crowds & without the long lines."

The company's been through quite a journey-Apollo Global Management acquired them again in 2019 for $1.1 billion, and in 2021, Mexican supermarket operator Chedraui announced its intent to acquire Smart & Final from Apollo. But through all the ownership changes, they've maintained their core identity as the smaller, faster grocery warehouse store.