Wakefern Food Corp.

Wakefern Food Corp. is the United States' largest retailer-owned cooperative. Founded in 1946, the private company is headquartered in Keasbey, New Jersey. As a cooperative, it is owned by its 48 member companies who independently operate supermarkets. Wakefern and its members reported retail sales of $20.7 billion for the fiscal year ending in September 2025 and collectively employ nearly 80,000 people.

Wakefern's primary operation is to function as the central purchasing, warehousing, and distribution arm for its members. This allows independent grocers to compete with large supermarket chains. The cooperative provides a wide range of support services, including marketing, advertising, insurance, and private-label product development. The member-owned supermarkets operate under various retail banners, including ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market, primarily across the Northeastern United States.

Based on its litigation history, Wakefern Food Corp. is an operating company that defends against patent infringement suits. The company has been a defendant in two tracked cases and has not been a plaintiff. Both lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, a venue frequently favored by patent plaintiffs.

The two tracked cases were initiated by Alpha Modus Corp. in late 2024 and early 2025. The plaintiff, a subsidiary of Alpha Modus Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMOD), is a U.S.-based retail technology company that has filed numerous patent infringement lawsuits against retailers. Alpha Modus's patent portfolio and litigation campaigns focus on technologies such as in-store AI systems, real-time shopper analytics, inventory intelligence, and personalized marketing.