CTown Supermarkets is a chain of independently owned and operated supermarkets operating in the northeastern United States and in Amman, Jordan.[1] CTown stores operate in partnership with Krasdale Foods.[2][3]
CTown was founded in 1975 as KTown as a move by Krasdale into retail operations, with the K standing for "Krasdale."[1] Under threat from Kmart, the company changed the store name to CTown.[4]
CTown uses economies of scale so its small member stores can pool their resources for purchasing and advertising.[5] It tends to open supermarkets in locations that suburban stores have abandoned.[5] The stores depend heavily on customers who are pedestrians and fewer who drive, as shown by their smaller parking lots.[5]
There are approximately 200 stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania and 5 stores in Amman, Jordan. CTown is the fifth-largest food retailer in the New York City metropolitan area. CTown is supplied by Krasdale Foods; many products sold in CTown stores are labeled Krasdale Foods (Krasdale also is a supplier for the smaller Bravo supermarket chain). Marketing and advertising for CTown are handled by Alpha-I Marketing Corp.
