Louisiana-based Rouses Markets is one of the fastest-growing family-owned companies in the country. It also is one of the top privately held companies and largest employers along the Gulf Coast.
Founded in 1960 by Anthony J. Rouse Sr., the company has expanded from its humble roots as a single store operator in Houma, Louisiana, to 64 locations (53 of which are in the Pelican State), with two more slated to open this year.
CEO Donny Rouse, the family’s third generation to helm the company, recently shared his thoughts with The Shelby Report about how the grocer manages to flourish in the competitive Louisiana market.
What are some of the unique aspects about operating a supermarket in Louisiana? 
As a retailer here, you need to be ready for each of the food seasons – crawfish, Creole tomato, gumbo, satsumas and the like. We get the first and best Creole tomatoes, Louisiana strawberries, crawfish, shrimp and blue crabs delivered straight to our stores. We really do love to eat in Louisiana.
We need to be prepared for severe weather, from storms and floods to hurricanes and extreme heat. All of this necessitates us needing a different emergency plan for the various situations we face. We’ve always been the last store to close and the first to open for communities after storms and disasters. We ensure at least one store remains open in every community following a storm.
We consistently provide truckloads of water and ice at our locations immediately after a storm. If we don’t have enough employees to fully open a store, we operate it as a drive-through, allowing customers to get essential items. We will do whatever it takes to serve our communities.
How competitive is the Louisiana market, and how does this impact your business strategy?
Most of the major players operate in our neck of the woods. There are Neighborhood Market Walmart stores in most of our markets. We also compete against Winn-Dixie, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Albertsons and Aldi, as well as independents like Hi Neighbor, Market Basket and Super 1 Foods.
To stand out, we always strive to be first to market with what’s new and what’s next. As competition has intensified over the years, we must consistently stay ahead of trends and innovations.
What other ways does Rouses stand apart in this market?
Our motto is best quality at the best price, and we live by that.
Because we’re local, we can swiftly adapt to changing conditions. When last year’s drought delayed our 2024 crawfish supply, we quickly pivoted to Gulf shrimp for a couple of weeks. We stayed in constant contact with our vendors, discussing supply updates daily, ensuring we were first to market as soon as the later-than-normal crawfish season began.
Our customers are very loyal, especially to our fresh offerings. Even those who have more convenient stores nearby choose us for our quality. Our customers are many things, but they are foremost passionate about food.
They are also passionate about their sports. The New Orleans Saints have the third most passionate fan base of any team in the country, and we are their official supermarket sponsor. Tie in our passion for football, our passion for food and our love of a good party or tailgate, and that’s our customer base – and us.
Our customers are also bourbon people, and so are we. In addition to our outstanding fresh offerings, we also have the finest bourbon selection available. We have our own Bourbon Society. We take great pride in curating a collection that caters to the tastes of bourbon connoisseurs.
Can you share a little bit more about your focus on fresh?
Can you share a little bit more about your focus on fresh?Our commitment to freshness spans across all departments, including produce, seafood, bakery and our butcher shop. We still cut meat the old-fashioned way and have butchers in our stores who are on hand to custom cut our meats. We proudly sell more local seafood than any other retailer on the Gulf Coast, ensuring the highest quality for our customers.
It sounds like carrying local products is an important part of your go-to-market strategy, yes?
It’s fair to say local is in our DNA. My great-grandfather, J.P. Rouse, got his start buying produce from local farmers in the area. As we’ve grown over the last 64 years, we have never stopped finding the best local products, the best local produce, the best local meats and the best seafood.
If it’s grown, caught, raised or made on the Gulf Coast, we want it in our stores.
Rouses was recently named a Top Workplace in the Greater New Orleans area. What’s your secret to finding and keeping good employees?
I think we set a high standard for employers everywhere, not just on the Gulf Coast. We are committed to being both the best place to shop and the best place to work.
We’re very honored that our team members consider us the best place to work.
We offer comprehensive benefits and career development programs, which help keep turnover low. Some of our team members began their careers at Rouses Markets as teenagers and are now running our stores.
We’re also deeply involved in every community we serve, partnering with local organizations for food drives, charity events and disaster-relief efforts. Many of our team members participate in these initiatives, like our Tackle Hunger Food Drive with the New Orleans Saints. That strengthens their connection to their communities and to each other.
[RELATED: Rouses Markets’ Milestone Rooted In Louisiana Produce]
Given your emphasis on fresh, was it a difficult decision to offer delivery options?
Not at all. Partnering with national companies for home delivery has been a great success. And we’re very proud of our curbside pickup program, which continues to grow every quarter. Our customers really appreciate that our Rouses Markets team members are the ones shopping for them for curbside, trusting us to select the perfect-sized Gulf shrimp and the finest Creole tomatoes.
What can you tell us about your growth and expansion plans?
To address longstanding concerns over food deserts in Louisiana, Rouses Markets opened a store earlier this year in North Baton Rouge, where residents had long navigated substantial distances to buy groceries.
The new store plays a crucial role in supporting the community by meeting the need for accessible and reasonably priced food options. It is the 11th location in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area for Rouses Markets.
We also opened a fourth store in Lafayette Parish that serves as an anchor for a new 15-acre retail center adjacent to the Village of River Ranch, one of Lafayette’s largest communities.
And we’re not done growing. Later this year, we will be opening two new stores in Mississippi – one in Biloxi and the other in Picayune.
