Gerrity’s To Give Employees Appreciation Bonus Gerrity’s Supermarkets has spent the past two months transitioning its stores to The Fresh Grocer banner. The project is now close to wrapping up and the owners of Gerrity’s The Fresh recently surprised their 1,300 employees with a bonus of up to $250. “This has been a major effort for our teams. It’s a change that we know makes us better, but it’salso a challenge that involved our entire staff and we’d like to say thanks with this bonus,” saidJoyce ‘Mom’ Fasula, President of Gerrity’s Supermarkets. “Ultimately, we know the conversion isworth it because it will help our customers find even more great products and lower their grocerybill.” The Fresh Grocer specializes in serving high quality, fresh prepared foods to communities inPennsylvania and New Jersey, and is a registered trademark of the retailer owned cooperativeWakefern Food Corp. The transition to the Fresh Grocer format means Gerrity’s customers canexpect new products, services and lower prices but can rest easy that their favorite aspects of theGerrity’s experience will remain, including Gerrity’s ownership, recipes, people, and service. Thestores have converted one at a time each week since August. The Fasula’s have recognized that the process has required everyone to go above and beyond thecall of duty. To show their gratitude for everything their team has done to help Gerrity’s rebrandfrom Shursave to The Fresh Grocer, the Fasula family is giving associates a bonus. Anyoneemployed for the four weeks of each store’s conversion is eligible for an appreciation bonus of upto $250. Full-Time employees will receive $250, and part-time associates is receiving a proratedamount based on how many hours they worked. The amounts received will be prorated based on a40-hour workweek for each of the four weeks. The total investment Gerrity’s is making in theirteam will be over $350,000.
Gerrity’s Announces Purchase of Valley Farm Market Joyce “Mom” Fasula, President of Gerrity’s Supermarkets, is very proud to announce that her family business is adding a tenth location. On Monday, November 15th, the Scranton-based supermarket company will purchase Valley Farm Market in Bethlehem, PA. In recent years, Gerrity’s has opened three Ace Hardware locations and remodeled all of their supermarkets. However, this will be the first new supermarket location in over 15 years. “In the supermarket business, it is important to continue to grow,” Fasula says. “We are proud to invest in the Bethlehem community, especially in light of the current state of the economy.” Valley Farm Market is currently owned by the Schummer Family, who employs over 140 workers. Gerrity’s will be discussing career opportunities with each and every member of the staff. The Fasulas and Schummers have been discussing the sale for several months. During that time, Gerrity’s management team has been stopping into the store. “We have been very impressed by the friendliness of the workers, the quality of the perishables and the condition of the store,” said Fasula. “The store and the staff will fit very well into the Gerrity’s family. Considering how well run the store is, the Fasulas plan to make very few changes to how the store runs. They will also keep the name Valley Farm Market on the building and in the marketing. However, they do plan to make improvements to lighting, the entryway, equipment, and pricing. In addition, they are planning a complete remodel that will begin late 2022 or early 2023. The best news for Valley Farms Employees is that, since they will be new to the Gerrity’s organization, they will be eligible for the new hire bonus of up to $500. Gerrity’s also anticipates hiring 50 additional full and part time people, including skilled positions like butchers, bakers, cooks, and cake decorators, as wells as clerks in every department.