How a 19th-century grocery partnership evolved into a modern warehouse retail giant

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Tracing its roots to a small Los Angeles storefront in 1871, Smart & Final transformed the grocery industry by pioneering the self-serve cash and carry model. Today, the chain operates hundreds of locations, navigating decades of corporate acquisitions, international expansion, and rapid shifts in consumer shopping habits.

The origins of Smart & Final lie in two distinct 19th-century ventures. The oldest, Hellman, Haas & Co., was established in Los Angeles in 1871 by Herman W. Hellman, Bernard Cohn, and Jacob Haas, who later served as the city's mayor. Separately, in 1912, the Santa Ana Grocery Company began as a supplier for local farmers. Two years later, Jim Smart and H. D. Final purchased this business, rebranding it as Smart & Final Wholesale Grocers. By 1919, the company achieved $10 million in annual sales, driven by the innovative introduction of a self-serve concept that eliminated the need for clerks to retrieve goods for customers.

The company's history is defined by a complex web of ownership and expansion. In 1953, it merged with the historic Haas, Baruch & Co. Later, in 1984, the French retailer Casino Guichard-Perrachon & Cie acquired the chain, initiating a period of modernization. This era also saw international growth, with the first store opening in Mexico in 1994 through a joint venture with Calimax. The chain has since changed hands multiple times, including acquisitions by Apollo Global Management in 2007 and 2019, and a 2021 purchase by the Mexican operator Chedraui, which manages the brand through its Chedraui USA subsidiary.

Throughout its evolution, Smart & Final has experimented with various retail formats to capture different market segments. In 2010, the company attempted to enter the Colorado market with the SmartCo Foods brand, which featured larger stores with dedicated meat and bakery departments. However, the venture was short-lived, with all five locations closing within five months. Today, the company balances its warehouse-style roots with modern digital tools, such as online shopping portals for business and household clients, while maintaining private labels like First Street, Sun Harvest, and Simply Value.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• How a post-war surplus business evolved into a modern discount supermarket chain
• How a discount grocer built an empire by selling its own stores to others
• How a small Cincinnati grocery store became a retail giant through constant reinvention
• How a failed grocery clerk invented the modern supermarket and changed retail forever
• How a small Los Angeles groceteria became a major supermarket powerhouse through aggressive expansion
• How a small Utah dry goods shop grew into a massive regional grocery powerhouse
• A massive Canadian reservoir held back by eighty-eight separate dikes instead of one
• How a Texas frontier village transformed into a railroad hub and record-breaking baking site
• The Athabaskan languages of the Northwest Territories define identity through complex, shifting sound patterns
• Smyrna, Georgia, is a rapidly evolving suburb defined by its history and jonquil flowers
• The Slave River is a massive Canadian waterway with a dangerous, storied past
• The Snake River is a massive, complex artery shaping the American Pacific Northwest

More in Bodies of water · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics