Smart & Final
An American warehouse-style grocery and foodservice-supply retailer serving households and professional food operators.
Last updated August 27, 2026
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Overview
Smart & Final is a warehouse-style grocery and supply retailer headquartered in Commerce, California. Its stores serve two overlapping customer groups: households seeking multipacks and value-oriented grocery purchases, and restaurants, caterers, small businesses, and other foodservice operators that require larger pack sizes and operational supplies. Unlike traditional membership warehouse clubs, Smart & Final stores generally allow customers to shop without paying a membership fee. The brand traces its corporate ancestry to Hellman, Haas & Co., a Los Angeles grocery wholesaler established in 1871. A separate Santa Ana Grocery Company was formed in 1912 to supply feed and grain to farmers. In 1914, J. S. “Jim” Smart and H. D. “Hildane” Final acquired that business and renamed it Smart & Final Wholesale Grocers. The two corporate histories were brought together in 1953, when Smart & Final merged with Haas, Baruch & Co., a successor to the earlier Hellman-Haas enterprise. The company helped popularize the cash-and-carry format during the early twentieth century. Instead of relying on clerks to retrieve merchandise from a warehouse, customers selected goods themselves and paid at the front of the store. That operating model influenced the company’s later warehouse-style presentation and remains central to its positioning. Smart & Final combines bulk-oriented grocery merchandising with household staples, cleaning products, paper goods, disposable foodservice items, and selected fresh foods. Over time, the business expanded through acquisitions, ownership changes, and partnerships. It became associated with the French retailer Casino during the 1980s and 1990s, entered Mexico through a joint venture with Calimax, acquired the Pacific Northwest Cash & Carry operation, and later broadened its U.S. portfolio through acquisitions such as Henry’s Farmers Markets and Sun Harvest Markets. The company also tested larger-format concepts, including Smart & Final Extra!, and briefly operated SmartCo Foods stores in Colorado. Smart & Final was acquired by Apollo Global Management in 2007, sold to Ares Management in 2012, and returned to Apollo ownership in 2019. It became a public company during the Ares period but was taken private again after Apollo’s 2019 acquisition. In 2021, Mexican supermarket operator Chedraui agreed to acquire Smart & Final through its U.S. subsidiary, Bodega Latina, later renamed Chedraui USA. Under Chedraui ownership, Smart & Final continues to operate primarily in the western United States, while stores in northwestern Mexico operate through the company’s relationship with Calimax. The brand’s private-label portfolio includes First Street for core grocery merchandise, Sun Harvest for natural and organic products, and Simply Value for household items. Its customer proposition centers on practical selection, larger package sizes, business-friendly shopping, and value without a compulsory membership. Digital ordering tools introduced in 2019 added separate consumer and business-oriented shopping portals, including grocery-list functions, weekly promotions, recipe-based discovery, dietary preference profiles, business ordering, and tax-exemption support.
History
Smart & Final’s history combines two Los Angeles-area grocery and wholesale traditions. The oldest predecessor was Hellman, Haas & Co., founded in 1871 by Herman W. Hellman, Jacob Haas, and Bernard Cohn on Los Angeles Street. By 1900, that company had become Haas, Baruch & Co. A separate predecessor, Santa Ana Grocery Company, began in 1912 and primarily supplied feed and grain to farmers. In 1914, banker and wholesaler J. S. “Jim” Smart and H. D. “Hildane” Final acquired Santa Ana Grocery Company and renamed it Smart & Final Wholesale Grocers. The business expanded rapidly; by 1919, reported annual sales had reached $10 million. During the competitive grocery expansion of the 1920s, Smart & Final adopted a self-service cash-and-carry approach. Customers selected products directly rather than asking store clerks to retrieve goods, creating a format suited to both small businesses and households purchasing larger quantities. The two corporate lineages were united in 1953 through the merger of Smart & Final with Haas, Baruch & Co. The resulting business continued to develop as a warehouse-oriented grocery and supply chain. In 1984, Smart & Final came under the control of Thriftimart and then Casino, the French supermarket group, which expanded and modernized the stores. A 1991 corporate reorganization included a public offering, while Casino retained a controlling interest at that time. Smart & Final began its Mexican expansion through a joint venture with Calimax announced in 1992, opening its first Mexican store in 1994. In 1998, it acquired United Grocers Cash & Carry of Portland, Oregon, and operated those locations under the Cash & Carry name, particularly in the Pacific Northwest. In 2007, the company acquired 35 Henry’s Farmers Markets locations in California and Sun Harvest Markets in Texas in a transaction reported at approximately $166 million. That same year, Casino announced its intention to sell the business, and Apollo Global Management acquired Smart & Final. During Apollo’s first ownership period, Smart & Final tested the SmartCo Foods concept in Colorado. The larger stores included produce, meat, bakery, and broader natural and organic assortments, differentiating them from conventional Smart & Final locations. Five Denver-area stores opened in 2010 but the company exited the market later that year after reporting poor performance. Ares Management acquired Apollo’s stake in 2012. Smart & Final returned to the public markets in 2014 and expanded through transactions including the purchase of leases at 32 former Haggen locations in 2015. Apollo acquired the company again in 2019 for a reported $1.1 billion, returning Smart & Final to private ownership. That year, the retailer also introduced redesigned digital platforms for consumers and business clients. In May 2021, Chedraui announced an agreement to acquire Smart & Final from Apollo through Bodega Latina. Bodega Latina later adopted the Chedraui USA name. Smart & Final remains focused on the western United States, with additional stores in northwestern Mexico operated through its Calimax relationship. The modern business combines conventional grocery categories with bulk packs, foodservice supplies, household products, and private-label merchandise. Its larger Smart & Final Extra! stores offer expanded footprints and assortments in selected U.S. markets.
- 2021
Chedraui agrees to acquire Smart & Final
[1]Chedraui announces the acquisition of Smart & Final through Bodega Latina, later renamed Chedraui USA.
- 2019
Apollo takes Smart & Final private again
[1]Apollo Global Management reacquires the chain, ending its period as a public company.
- 2015
Former Haggen leases are acquired
[1]Smart & Final purchases leases on 32 locations previously operated by Haggen.
- 2014
Smart & Final goes public
[1]The retailer becomes a publicly traded company during the Ares ownership period.
- 2012
Ares Management acquires the company
[1]Apollo sells its stake in Smart & Final to Ares Management.
- 2010
SmartCo Foods launches and exits Colorado
[1]Smart & Final opens five larger-format SmartCo Foods stores around Denver and announces its withdrawal from the market later that year.
- 2007
Apollo acquires Smart & Final
[1]After Casino begins the sale process, Apollo Global Management acquires the retailer.
- 1998
United Grocers Cash & Carry is acquired
[1]Smart & Final acquires the Portland-based cash-and-carry operation and renames it Cash & Carry.
- 1994
First Mexican store opens
[1]The company opens its first store in Mexico through its relationship with Calimax.
- 1992
Calimax joint venture announced
[1]Smart & Final announces a partnership with Mexican supermarket operator Calimax to develop stores in Mexico.
Products and positioning
A membership-free warehouse-style retailer combining household grocery shopping with bulk food, supplies, and equipment-oriented purchasing for foodservice customers.
Warehouse-style grocery retail
Smart & Final stores
The core store format combines grocery and beverage categories with household necessities, paper goods, cleaning products, and foodservice supplies. Stores are designed for both regular household shopping and larger-quantity purchases by restaurants, caterers, offices, and other small businesses. The format generally does not require a paid membership, distinguishing it from many warehouse clubs.
Larger-format grocery retail · 2008
Smart & Final Extra!
Introduced in selected U.S. markets from 2008, Smart & Final Extra! stores use a somewhat larger footprint and carry a broader assortment than standard Smart & Final locations. The concept extends the company’s warehouse-style proposition while adding more space for grocery, fresh, household, and foodservice categories.
Foodservice supply retail
Smart Foodservice Warehouse Stores
The business formerly operated Smart Foodservice Warehouse Stores, previously known as Cash & Carry. These locations were oriented especially toward foodservice professionals and supplied commercial quantities of food, disposable products, and operating necessities.
Private-label grocery
First Street
First Street is Smart & Final’s principal grocery private label. It is used across a range of everyday food and pantry products intended to provide a consistent, value-oriented alternative to national brands in both household and foodservice shopping.
Natural and organic private label
Sun Harvest
Sun Harvest is associated with natural and organic merchandise sold through the Smart & Final business. The line broadens the retailer’s assortment beyond conventional warehouse staples and supports demand for products marketed around natural or organic attributes.
Household private label
Simply Value
Simply Value is used for household products, including practical consumables and home-care merchandise. The label complements Smart & Final’s grocery and foodservice ranges with value-focused household essentials.
Brand decisions
2021
Agree to sale to ChedrauiM&ABackground
Apollo Global Management chose to sell Smart & Final after reacquiring the company in 2019.
Action taken
Chedraui announced an agreement to acquire Smart & Final through its subsidiary Bodega Latina, later renamed Chedraui USA.
Aftermath
Smart & Final became part of Chedraui’s U.S. operations and continued operating under its established brand.
2019
Launch redesigned digital shopping portalsProduct launchBackground
Smart & Final wanted to support both household e-commerce shoppers and professional foodservice customers through more specialized online journeys.
Action taken
The retailer introduced redesigned consumer and business portals with weekly promotions, grocery lists, recipe functions, dietary profiles, business ordering, and tax-exemption tools.
Aftermath
The change expanded the brand’s digital ordering and customer-management capabilities.
2010
Test SmartCo Foods in ColoradoStrategyBackground
Smart & Final pursued a larger supermarket concept tailored to the Denver market, with more fresh food and natural and organic merchandise than its conventional stores.
Action taken
The company opened five SmartCo Foods stores in the Denver metropolitan area and later announced that it would close them and leave the market.
Aftermath
The Colorado experiment ended after approximately five months, reinforcing the company’s focus on its established warehouse-style formats.
2008
Introduce Smart & Final Extra!Product launchBackground
The company looked to serve customers who wanted the Smart & Final proposition but a larger store and broader assortment.
Action taken
Smart & Final began operating selected larger-format Extra! stores in the United States.
Aftermath
The format became part of the company’s differentiated store portfolio in selected markets.
1992
Enter Mexico through a Calimax partnershipStrategyBackground
Smart & Final sought to extend its warehouse-style retail model beyond the United States while working with an established Mexican operator.
Action taken
The company announced a joint venture with Calimax and opened its first Mexican store in 1994.
Aftermath
The partnership became the basis for Smart & Final stores in northwestern Mexico.
Recent events
Uber partners with Smart & Final for grocery delivery[3]
Reported:
Uber announced a partnership with Smart & Final to expand on-demand and scheduled grocery delivery across the West Coast. At the time of the announcement, 173 stores in Arizona, California and Nevada were available through Uber and Uber Eats; the companies planned to onboard all 254 locations.
- Unconfirmed
Chedraui announces acquisition of Smart & Final[4]
Grupo Comercial Chedraui announced that its subsidiary Bodega Latina entered into an agreement to acquire Smart & Final from funds managed by affiliates of Apollo for approximately US$620 million, including assumption of certain indebtedness. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.
DoorDash launches grocery delivery[5]
Reported:
DoorDash users can order groceries through the delivery app from participating grocers, with availability in several US markets.
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