Mar-Val Food Stores

Employer Introduction

A Brief History About Us

 

In an era where small and medium-sized grocers are disappearing, the Mar-Val brand is a rarity. In 1952, Mardee Kidd teamed with his brother Val to open the first Mar-Val store. It was at the corner of Hutchins Street and Kettleman Lane in Lodi. You can see the sign of the original store at the left.

Mar-Val still keeps its corporate offices in Lodi, but its actual markets are purposely located in more sparsely populated rural regions. There are nine stores in the Mar-Val Food Stores chain. All are situated in California. They include Clements, Colfax, Escalon, Nice, Georgetown, Groveland, Prather, Valley Springs and Willows.

"We feel we can get in with the community and become a part of it (in smaller areas)," said Mark Kidd, son of the founder and current CEO. "We stay out of the reach of the big city supermarket chains. It's just too expensive to operate."

 

Phyllis Faubion, a long-time customer at the Mar-Val Valley Springs store, remarked that shopping there offers the best of both worlds: supermarket selection coupled with the charm of a small, country store.

"The people are so friendly," Faubion said. "They even know your name after you've been here for a while."

Of course Kidd knows the importance of customer service. The Mar-Val motto is “Small enough to appreciate you, big enough to serve you.”

Come on in and make us prove we are really this good!