Associated Food Stores (AFS) and its network of independent retailers played a pivotal role in the 2026 Feed Utah Food Drive, collecting 165,443 pounds of food – more than half of the statewide total. The fifth annual drive, held in March, brought communities across Utah together to fight hunger. Food insecurity affects one in five […]
Category: Associated Food Stores
Since 1940, Associated Food Stores have been advocating for independent grocers throughout the Intermountain West. In that time, membership has grown from 34 independent grocers to over 400 today; operating a 1-million-square-foot warehouse in Farr West, Utah; and the integration of new technologies in the grocery industry.
Strong competition from national chains, increased prices from wholesalers and low margins left many families and independently owned businesses with boarded windows. Determined to succeed against the competition, 34 independent retailers and Donald P. Lloyd, the then president of the Utah Grocers Association, joined together to combine their buying power and open a warehouse, leading to the birth of AFS.
We have since grown from 34 retailers in Utah to nearly 450 independent grocers across Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon.
Posted inIndependent Store News, Associated Food Stores, News, West
Kent’s Market Hosts Meals For Military Event On Armed Forces Day
Kent’s Market commemorated Armed Forces Day by hosting its annual Meals for Military event in partnership with Operation Homefront, Associated Food Stores (AFS) and dozens of national and local vendors. On May 16, volunteers lined up to greet more than 400 military families, many of whom are lower-income service members stationed at nearby Hill Air […]
Posted inWholesaler/Distributor News, Associated Food Stores, News, West
AFS Receives Instacart’s Wholesaler Partnership Award
Associated Food Stores received the Wholesaler Partnership Excellence Award at Instacart’s 2026 Independent Grocer Award Winners ceremony held during the recent NGA Show. The Salt Lake City-based wholesaler was recognized for its collaboration with Instacart throughout the onboarding process and hands-on approach to supporting the transition to Storefront Pro and Storefront platforms. Onboarding a retailer […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Associated Food Stores, Finance News, News, West
Dick’s Market Featured In Nationwide Film “STANDOUT”
Dick’s Market in Centerville, Utah, served as a filming location for “STANDOUT: The Ben Kjar Story,” a feature film that opened Jan. 23 in theaters nationwide and won the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. The film chronicles the life of Ben Kjar, a Utah native born with Crouzon syndrome who became a three-time state wrestling champion, […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Associated Food Stores, News, West
AFS Adds GoSpotCheck By Form To Expand Shelf Intelligence
Associated Food Stores (AFS) has added GoSpotCheck by FORM to its retail technology portfolio, deploying the mobile task management platform across its cooperative network of more than 450 independent supermarkets and 41 corporate stores. The move is part of AFS’s ongoing digital transformation and its increased focus on store-level data capture and merchandising execution. The […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Associated Food Stores, West
Kent’s Market, AFS, Community Partners Donate $74K To Shriners
Kent’s Market, together with Swire Coca-Cola, Associated Food Stores (AFS) and other community partners, donated more than $74,000 to Shriners Children’s Salt Lake City. The donation was presented Dec. 9 at a holiday event at the hospital, where retailers and partners spent time visiting with patients and families and learning more about the specialized pediatric […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Associated Food Stores, News, West
AFS’ Sam Patch Celebrates Grand Opening In Wellsville, UT
Associated Food Stores (AFS) recently celebrated the grand opening of a new 23,000-square-foot Sam Patch convenience store at 825 E. Main St. in Wellsville, Utah. Owned by Mike Baldwin of Wellsville and Jason Hurd of Tremonton, the store offers fresh food, groceries and fuel for residents in the southern part of Cache Valley. The site […]
Posted inIndependent Store News, Associated Food Stores, News, West
AFS, Lee’s Marketplace Open Bella’s Market In Vineyard, UT
Bella’s Market drew more than 1,000 people to its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 17 at 875 N. Main St. in Vineyard, Utah, where it was welcomed as the first grocery store in the 700-acre mixed-use master-planned community on the eastern shore of Utah Lake. Vendors including Kodiak Cakes, Café Ibis, Certified Angus Beef […]