FreightWaves Haul of Fame: Red Owl had loyal employees and customers
Grocery chain s service created brand recognition and loyalty Red Owl trailers stand ready to be loaded with groceries. (Photo: @RedOwlMemories/Facebook)
Red Owl was a grocery store chain headquartered in Hopkins, Minnesota, that operated in that state and the upper Midwest. Although the Red Owl stores and name have been gone for more than 30 years, there are many former employees and customers in its service areas that have not lost their attachment to the stores or its merchandise.
Founded in 1922, it was initially owned and operated by a private investment firm affiliated with General Mills. The company was purchased in 1968 by Gamble-Skogmo. The company was purchased in 1968 by Gamble-Skogmo; it was acquired by Wickes Corporation in 1980. Wickes sold the Red Owl chain to three executives of the chain in January 1986. At that time, the company operated 441 stores in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iow