Hermantown-based Miner’s Inc., a family-owned grocery retailer, purchased the International Falls SuperValu this month.
Formerly owned by Duluth-based Paulsons’ SuperValu Inc., the store has been renamed County Market and will undergo changes in the next few months.
“This decision (to sell the store) was very difficult, but we decided the time was right to retire from the grocery business,” said Bob Paulson, president of Paulsons’ SuperValu Inc. “As a family-owned regional retail grocery company, Miner’s is best positioned to serve our customers and the community. We also believe that the Miner’s organization is a good fit for our employees.”
Employees of SuperValu have been offered employment with Miner’s Inc., according to the company.
Miner’s Inc. owns and operates 35 retail stores located across four northern states. With the purchase of the Falls location, Miner’s also purchased three other stores — in Duluth, Crosby and Ashland, Wis. — from Paulson’s SuperValu.
“Our company is always interested in expanding, and the International Falls location is a great fit for us,” Halvorson said. “By Miner’s acquiring the four stores, we’re going to be able to breathe some fresh life into them and move them into a new phase as we update them. We’re very happy to be able to do that.”
Last week, employees changed more than 10,000 price tags throughout the store, according to Bob Halvorson, vice president of operations for Miner’s Inc.
“Prices have come down substantially,” he said. “We’ll be using a whole new price structure.”
The company is able to make that change because thousands of retail grocery items will now come from the Miner’s Inc. warehouse, he said and new options in items will be offered. It will take some time to get the new price structure in place, Halvorson added.
Changes to come to the store include relocation of the produce section to the front of the store. Produce cases and other cases around the store will be updated, he said. Store hours will remain the same, but deli hours may be expanded, Halvorson said.
“The transformation is going to take a little bit of time,” Halvorson said. “(The store) will have a new feel when we’re done.”
Miner’s Inc. does business as Super One Foods, U-Save Foods, Woodland Marketplace Foods and at the Falls location — County Market.
