Coborn’s said Thursday it will switch all distribution to Supervalu after buying products for some stores from Affiliated Foods Midwest since last spring.
The company said it will begin making the transition Feb. 5 and expects it to be fully implemented by May 1.
Coborn’s, based in St. Cloud, Minn., operates 54 supermarkets across six states.
It had been buying the majority of products from Supervalu, Eden Prairie, Minn., exclusively until last spring, when it expanded into western Wisconsin with the acquisition of four Marketplace Foods stores. Marketplace had been using Norfolk, Neb.-based AFM as its wholesaler.
Coborn's initially decided to continue buying all products, including private label, for those four stores — and to buy private label for all stores — through AFM’s Kenosha, Wis., warehouse “as a test," Rebecca Kurowski, communications manager for Coborn’s, told SN.

“But we realized that logistically that made transportation more complicated, so we’re moving private label for all stores to Supervalu and also moving to Supervalu for all products at the Marketplace stores.”
Customers are unlikely to notice any change, she noted, because Coborn’s uses Topco’s Food Club as its private label.
Coborn’s operates stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, encompassing 29 Coborn's, 17 Cash-Wise Foods, four Save-A-Lots and the four Marketplace Foods locations, along with 34 convenience stores, 11 freestanding liquor stores, two freestanding pharmacies, two Ace Hardware stores, one freestanding video store, one Subway and one floral shop adjacent to a supermarket.