Weis Markets

Weis Markets is a regional supermarket grocer that serves communities across the Mid‑Atlantic with full‑service grocery stores and fuel centers. The company focuses on everyday shopping needs, with stores that typically include departments such as produce, meat and seafood, bakery, deli and prepared foods, floral, pharmacy, and beer and wine where allowed. Many locations also include Weis Gas‑n‑Go fuel stations and in‑store pharmacies, which helps the brand function as a primary weekly grocery stop and a regular convenience trip generator. Weis also operates its Weis 2 Go online ordering program with pickup and delivery options, supporting omnichannel traffic to its physical stores.

The business traces its roots to 1912, when brothers Harry and Sigmund Weis opened a small store called Weis Pure Foods in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. From that original shop, the company has grown steadily over more than a century while keeping its headquarters and leadership base in central Pennsylvania. A notable milestone in its evolution came in 1965, when Weis Markets went public and began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker WMK. It remains an independent, family‑influenced operator rather than part of a national grocery conglomerate, which has shaped its focus on regional markets and long‑term operations.

As of August 2024, Weis Markets operates roughly 200 supermarkets across seven states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia. The chain generates an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue and employs around 22,000 people, giving it meaningful scale within its region while still functioning as a local grocer in many of its trade areas. Its store base is densest in Pennsylvania, where it holds significant share, and then extends into neighboring states where it often serves as a key full‑service supermarket for suburban and exurban communities.

Over the past decade, and especially in the last five years, Weis has grown through a mix of selective new store development and targeted acquisitions. Earlier acquisitions set the pattern, including a 1969 deal for Albany Public Markets that brought Weis into New York and a 2009 purchase of 30 Ukrop’s stores that expanded its presence in Virginia. A major step‑change came in 2016, when the company acquired 44 additional stores, including 38 former Food Lion locations, which meaningfully increased its Mid‑Atlantic footprint and created a pipeline of conversion and reinvestment projects. Since then, Weis has pursued modest but steady net new store openings, concentrating on infill within existing states and backfilling vacated supermarket and big‑box space rather than leaping into distant new regions. Over roughly the last five years, the brand has also expanded its digital and convenience offerings through Weis 2 Go, delivery partnerships, and loyalty programs that tie together in‑store, fuel, and online shopping.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Weis Markets functions as a stable supermarket anchor with a long operating history and a preference for established Mid‑Atlantic communities. Its typical stores support neighborhood and community shopping centers by driving frequent, needs‑based visits that benefit surrounding tenants. The company’s measured growth posture, with a clear focus on Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia, positions it as a realistic candidate for well‑located infill sites and second‑generation grocery or big‑box spaces. Because Weis remains an independent, publicly traded grocer with a long track record in its core markets, it brings both credibility and staying power to projects where consistent grocery traffic is a key part of the leasing strategy.