Longtime Philly grocer Jeff Brown buys his fourth ShopRite-anchored complex for $30.8 million
Brown said owning the real estate around his stores ensures "long-term healthy food access" for neighborhood residents.
Jeff Brown, the fourth-generation Philly grocer, has added another ShopRite shopping center to his real estate portfolio.
The Brown family, which operates a dozen local ShopRites, recently purchased the Shoppes at Wissinoming for $30.8 million, according to JLL real estate, which represented the seller. The nearly 98,000-square-foot complex in Northeast Philadelphia is anchored by one of Brown’s ShopRites.
“We think it’s important to own the real estate where our supermarkets are located, so we can ensure the long-term healthy food access for the local community and the overall sustainability of our stores,” Jeff Brown, executive chairman of Brown’s Super Stores, said in a statement. “We are excited to add the Shoppes at Wissinoming shopping center to our real estate properties.”
Brown said he owns the shopping centers surrounding his ShopRites in Cheltenham, Brooklawn, and Roxborough.
The family also runs ShopRites in Bensalem, Eastwick, Fairless Hills, Mullica Hill, Nicetown, Parkside, Port Richmond, and South Philadelphia.
The ShopRite at the Shoppes at Wissinoming opened in 2018, and was acquired by Brown earlier this year. The grocery store anchors the center, occupying about 68,000 square feet.
The complex is 98% occupied, according to JLL. Other tenants include Wawa, Popeyes, and AT&T.
“The transaction reflects broader trends in the retail investment market, where investors continue to prioritize grocery-anchored properties with proven tenant performance,” said Jim Galbally, JLL senior managing director. “Shoppes at Wissinoming has an ideal combination of dominant grocery anchor, diverse tenant mix, and strategic location within one of Philadelphia’s most densely populated submarkets.”
Brown and his wife, Sandra, have been running grocery stores for nearly four decades. Over the years, the family has received national attention for opening stores in underserved neighborhoods, hiring people who were formerly incarcerated, and partnering with Black-owned businesses.
An outspoken critic of former Mayor Jim Kenney’s soda tax, Brown ran an unsuccessful campaign for mayor in 2023. During his run, the city’s Board of Ethics accused Brown of campaign-finance violations, over which Brown later sued. The lawsuit was dismissed last year by a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge. During Brown’s campaign, The Inquirer also reported that his grocery stores had received $1.5 million from a nonprofit he founded.
After Brown lost to now-Mayor Cherelle L. Parker in the Democratic primary, his grocery chain went on to further expand its holdings, making a substantial investment in DiBruno Brothers in 2024.
Brown’s Super Stores is headquartered in Gloucester County and also runs the Fresh Grocer stores near City Avenue and in Wyncote.