The Karns family has been operating retail stores in central Pennsylvania since 1959. Andrea Karns surmises that it is unlikely her grandfather knew when he opened his butcher shop all those years ago that his reputation for offering top cuts of meat would be one of the many reasons customers continue to shop at Karns Foods more than six decades later.
Family-owned and -operated for three generations, Karns Foods has expanded to 10 stores across Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry and York counties. Locations range in size from 35,000 to 65,000 square feet, but all focus on perishables as well as groceries.
At the helm today are Scott Karns, chairman of the board, CEO Andrea Karns, President Mat Rudderow and Megan Karns, chief human resources officer.
Andrea Karns’ grandfather started the family business, which is headquartered in Mechanicsburg, after returning from service in the Air Force.
“We still stay true to our roots by offering a full-service meat department in each of our stores, featuring an extensive assortment of beef, chicken, pork and seafood. On any given day, shoppers can enjoy house-made specialty flavored sausages, freshly ground burger and custom cut steaks,” she said.
In addition, Karns Foods focuses on the store perimeter, including produce and bakery.
“Our pies have a from-scratch crust that is hand-pinched, cakes are baked fresh by our staff and we offer regional baked goods such as whoopie pies, shoo-fly pies and lemon sponge pies,” she said.
Speaking with Karns, the emphasis on local is a recurring theme as she talks about the standout store features. She noted the company partners with several local farms to offer fresh produce throughout the growing season.
“Karns Foods has been ‘doing local’ before it was a marketing trend,” she said. “For us, it has always been a piece of our go-to-market strategy. We proactively work to support local farms and purveyors. We believe we can only be as strong as the community we are in. As a result, supporting local is an essential key to [our] success.”
Personal connections are another reason the company has survived as an independent retailer.
“Our shoppers have their favorite butcher they visit, see familiar faces at checkout and know if an issue comes up, they have a local company to connect with,” Karns said. “To us and our customers, having a company that cares means something today.”
Intense competition
Karns described the Central Pennsylvania market as “incredibly competitive” on a daily basis.
“We compete against some of the best international and regional food retailers,” she said. “Not only does this create the need to continuously attract and maintain shoppers, but vendor support as well.”
So how does a retailer of this size go toe-to-toe with such formidable competition and manage to survive so long?
“I firmly believe that the key to Karns Foods being able to grow as an independent retailer over the past 65 years has been by staying true to our roots and being [loyal] to both the community and business partners,” she said.
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Employee engagement
With such a competitive market, it takes more than luck to find quality employees. The company currently employs some 1,300 people.
“We are fortunate to have many long-term team members,” Karns said. “This foundation across our locations is key to our overall retention. The older employees assist in training, educating and exhibiting our company culture to the new hires.”
In addition, the company emphasizes team member connection. This layer, she noted, is a key focus moving into the future.
“Connection items include team member spotlights on our internal communications, exceptional assistance acknowledgements and increased communication from store-level team members to me. Our goal is to provide an environment where team members know they are valued and appreciated.”
Strategic growth
Karns called the technology available in today’s marketplace “truly incredible.” As an independent retailer, she said it is the company’s responsibility to review and monitor the best options for its stores and shoppers.
“Our approach to technology is proactive information/research gathering with a very strategic implementation process,” she said. “As a company, we work hard to walk the line between offering shoppers the convenience they are looking for while maintaining the personal touch that sets us apart.”
At the same time, company officials recognize the growing demand for convenient checkout and purchasing options. The grocer currently offers self-scan at nine of its 10 stores and partners with third-party vendors for grocery delivery.
Turning to the future, Karns shared that several new projects are in the works.
“You can expect to see Karns Foods continue its path of strategic growth,” she said. “This will include store renovations, new technology and continuously reviewing opportunities to expand in both square footage and rooftops.”
