Pay Less Super Markets

Pay Less Super Markets is a regional supermarket banner operating in central Indiana and owned by The Kroger Co. The chain was established in 1947 by H. J. Contos in Anderson, Indiana. Its second store opened in Lafayette in 1960, marking the beginning of a broader presence in communities across the region. After Contos died in 1961, ownership and leadership passed to his son, Larry D. Contos. The business remained an independently operated local grocery chain for several decades before being acquired by Kroger in 1999. Under Kroger ownership, Pay Less continued to operate as a distinct regional banner rather than being immediately replaced by a larger Kroger nameplate. The banner became associated with Kroger's central division, which also included Owen's Market until that banner was phased out in August 2020. Pay Less has primarily served customers in the central Indiana cities of Anderson, Lafayette, Muncie, and West Lafayette. The chain has also had a limited history outside Indiana: two stores opened in Omaha, Nebraska, but operated for only approximately two years before being taken over by Cub Foods. These Omaha locations did not become a lasting part of the banner's operating footprint. In 2017, Kroger announced that it would convert two former Marsh Supermarkets locations in Muncie into Pay Less stores after acquiring the sites from the bankrupt Marsh company. The first of those replacement stores opened in May 2018. This move demonstrated Kroger's continued use of Pay Less as a local-market banner and helped preserve the brand's presence in Muncie after Marsh's collapse. The banner's business scope is that of a conventional supermarket retailer, centered on household grocery shopping and related food and consumer products. Public reference material identifies the chain's store network and ownership but does not provide a separate detailed product-brand architecture, financial reporting, or an independently listed corporate structure. Pay Less is therefore best understood as a regional retail brand within Kroger's broader supermarket portfolio, with its identity tied to central Indiana communities and neighborhood-scale grocery operations.

Pay Less Super Markets began in 1947 when H. J. Contos founded a supermarket in Anderson, Indiana. The company expanded beyond its original hometown in 1960, opening a second store in Lafayette. Contos died in 1961, after which his son, Larry D. Contos, took control of the business. For much of its independent history, Pay Less developed as a local and regional grocery operator serving central Indiana. Its principal communities became Anderson, Lafayette, Muncie, and West Lafayette. The chain also experimented with expansion into Omaha, Nebraska, where it operated two stores. That effort was short-lived: the Omaha locations lasted about two years before being taken over by Cub Foods. The company was acquired by The Kroger Co. in 1999. Kroger retained Pay Less as a separate supermarket banner and placed it within its central division. The division also included Owen's Market, another regional grocery banner, although Owen's was eventually phased out in August 2020. Pay Less consequently remained one of the local names used within Kroger's broader supermarket network. Kroger made a further investment in the banner after Marsh Supermarkets entered bankruptcy. In July 2017, Kroger announced plans to convert two former Marsh stores in Muncie into Pay Less locations. The first converted store opened in May 2018. The conversions helped extend Pay Less's presence in Muncie while allowing Kroger to reuse supermarket sites associated with a discontinued competitor. The available reference material describes Pay Less as a chain of nine supermarkets concentrated in central Indiana. It does not identify a separately incorporated public company, standalone financial results, detailed executive team, or a distinct proprietary product portfolio. Its current identity is therefore primarily that of a regional Kroger retail banner: a locally recognizable supermarket name operating within the resources, ownership structure, and strategic framework of a much larger U.S. grocery company.

• 2018

  First converted Muncie store opens

  [1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  The first of the planned former Marsh conversions opens as a Pay Less supermarket in May.

• 2017

  Muncie store conversions announced

  [1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  Kroger announces plans to convert two former Marsh Supermarkets locations in Muncie to the Pay Less banner.

• 1999

  Acquisition by Kroger

  [1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  The Kroger Co. acquires Pay Less Super Markets and continues operating the banner.

• 1961

  Leadership passes to Larry D. Contos

  [1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  Following H. J. Contos's death, his son Larry D. Contos takes over the company.

• 1960

  Second store opens in Lafayette

  [1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  The company expands beyond Anderson by opening a second supermarket in Lafayette, Indiana.

• 1947

  Pay Less is founded in Anderson

  [1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  H. J. Contos establishes Pay Less Super Markets in Anderson, Indiana.

A regional community supermarket banner offering conventional grocery shopping in central Indiana under the ownership and operating infrastructure of The Kroger Co.

• Supermarket retail · 1947

  Pay Less Supermarkets

  The core Pay Less offering is a conventional supermarket format serving routine household grocery needs. The banner's stores are associated with central Indiana communities and provide the broad categories normally expected from a full-service grocery retailer, including fresh food, packaged food, refrigerated and frozen goods, beverages, and household consumables. Public reference material does not document a separate proprietary product line or a distinctive flagship private-label range for Pay Less.

• 2017

  Conversion of former Marsh locationsStrategy

  Background

  Marsh Supermarkets entered bankruptcy, leaving supermarket properties available for acquisition and reuse.

  Action taken

  Kroger announced that two former Marsh stores in Muncie would be converted to the Pay Less banner.

  Aftermath

  The first converted location opened in May 2018, extending Pay Less's Muncie presence.

  Source

• 1999

  Kroger acquires Pay LessM&A

  Background

  Pay Less had operated as an independent regional supermarket chain since its founding in 1947.

  Action taken

  The Kroger Co. acquired the company and retained Pay Less as a regional supermarket banner.

  Aftermath

  Pay Less continued operating in central Indiana within Kroger's central division.

  Source

• 2018

  First new Muncie Pay Less store opens[1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The first of the two former Marsh locations selected for conversion to the Pay Less banner opened in May 2018.

• 2017

  Kroger plans Pay Less conversions for former Marsh stores[1]Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Kroger announced plans to convert two former Marsh Supermarkets locations in Muncie, Indiana, into Pay Less stores after acquiring the properties from the bankrupt supermarket company.

1. 1Pay Less Super Marketsen.wikipedia.org