By Jennifer Eisenbart/Staff Writer
For more than 60 years in Twin Lakes – and more than 10 in Burlington – the Richter name has been notable when it comes to grocery stores.
That will not change in October – but the name of the stores Norm and Larry Richter own will.
The brothers are ending their association with Sentry and will become “Richter’s Marketplace” the week of Oct. 7. Signs will change that week, and the first ad circulars with the new name will come out Oct. 10.
Knowing their contract would be expiring with Sentry this fall, Norm Richter said he and his brother decided to “look around” for the best fit with their stores.
That turned out to be Affiliated Foods Midwest – a cooperative market. AFM is member-owned with more than 800 stores located throughout the Midwest.
“We didn’t take this switch lightly, because we’ve been a Sentry for over 50 years,” said Norm Richter. “It’s a big switch.”
While the switch will impact a number of areas of the store, Larry Richter expressed his happiness with the move.
“It makes us more independent than we were before,” Larry explained. “We’ll be doing our own ads, and we’ll take care of our own pricing.
“It’s all higher quality of product than we had before,” he added.
The store will switch to “Shurfine” store brands, also known as “own labels.” That will mostly affect items in the grocery area. Meat will come from Chairman’s Reserve, while Cowbell Ice Cream will be sold.
Other names in the market will be Wide Awake Coffee, Nostimo Yogurt and Sweet Pea Bakery.
Norm Richter said management staff took a tour recently of the AFM warehouse, and sampled both the Chairman’s Reserve steaks and Cowbell ice cream.
“They were both excellent,” Norm said. “And it was nice to have the tour for all of our managers in both stores … so they could see the process of where the products are coming from.”
Aside from names changing on products, the two brothers are hoping the only other impact on customers will be more savings. Both associates and managers at both stores are expected to remain the same.
“It will be the same people in both stores who have been here,” Norm Richter said. “That won’t be changing.
“It’ll be better for the company, it’ll be better for the associates and better for the customers,” he added. “We think all three are going to benefit from the change.”
The company will still remain active in the community with its “Funds for Friends” program – a receipt return donation. Various non-profit groups in both communities collect receipts turned in by customers, and 1 percent of those sales are given back to those organizations.
The only change will be the stickers placed on the back of those receipts, which will go from Sentry green to a red and black logo.
Norm Richter said that the program has given more than $500,000 back to the two communities – the biggest charitable vehicle the company has.
“We’ve been involved in the community, and we’ll continue to be involved in the community,” Norm explained. “It’s the same owners, and the same associates. But there are many things that are new and exciting for us.
“We’re looking forward to the switch.”
The Richter family opened its first store in Twin Lakes in May 1947, with George and Mildred Richter (both now deceased) starting the business. The Richter family bought the Burlington store in 2000, and rebuilt the store, reopening in April of 2002.
Larry and Norm Richter are the second generation of the family at the store, and some of their children – Scott Richter, Susan Richter-Huber, and Joel and Megan Richter – make up the third generation of the family involved in the business.