Historical slideshow: Bashas' for the last 90 years, plus celebrations today

 Bashas' supermarket employees in Chandler, Ariz., from the early 20th century stand near the grocery and produce bins. Photos: Courtesy of Bashas'

Bashas' supermarket employees in Chandler, Ariz., from the early 20th century stand near the grocery and produce bins. Photos: Courtesy of Bashas'

 Brothers Ike Basha (from left) and Eddie Basha Sr. stand in a Boston grocery store. The pair opened their own Bashas'-branded store in 1932, in Chandler, Ariz.

Brothers Ike Basha (from left) and Eddie Basha Sr. stand in a Boston grocery store. The pair opened their own Bashas'-branded store in 1932, in Chandler, Ariz.

 Don Cooper stands outside a Bashas' store, circa early- to mid-1900s.

Don Cooper stands outside a Bashas' store, circa early- to mid-1900s.

 Supermarket employees stand near the checkout stations and produce bins at an early Bashas' grocery store in Chandler, Ariz.

Supermarket employees stand near the checkout stations and produce bins at an early Bashas' grocery store in Chandler, Ariz.

 Little Eddie Basha stands in front of a Bashas' delivery truck in the early 20th century.

Little Eddie Basha stands in front of a Bashas' delivery truck in the early 20th century.

 Fred Felix stands inside a Bashas' supermarket in the early- to mid-1900s.

Fred Felix stands inside a Bashas' supermarket in the early- to mid-1900s.

 Eddie Basha Jr. holds what looks like building plans on a construction site with his father, Eddie Basha Sr.

Eddie Basha Jr. holds what looks like building plans on a construction site with his father, Eddie Basha Sr.

 Bashas' has undergone many styles of storefronts over the years.

Bashas' has undergone many styles of storefronts over the years.

 Bashas' has undergone many styles of storefronts over the years.

Bashas' has undergone many styles of storefronts over the years.

 Bashas' has undergone many styles of storefronts over the years.

Bashas' has undergone many styles of storefronts over the years.

 The Basha family in 2022 continue to run operations.

The Basha family in 2022 continue to run operations.

 Bashas' celebrates its 90th anniversary with several events over 90 days.

Bashas' celebrates its 90th anniversary with several events over 90 days.

Chandler, Ariz.-based Bashas’ is starting a 90-day celebration in July to commemorate the supermarket chain’s 90th anniversary.

The retailer will try to break a Guinness World Records title, hold a Community Choice Charity Challenge, host weekly grocery gift card giveaways, donate to employee-suggested local nonprofit groups and perform random acts of kindness, according to a news release.

“We are honored to celebrate our 90th anniversary with our team members, customers, vendors and charity partners,” Bashas’ President Edward “Trey” Basha said in the release. He’s a grandson of one of the company’s founders. “I’d like to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their continued support. Our goal is to express our gratitude and use this milestone as an opportunity to be of additional service to our communities.”

Bashas' Family of Stores operates Food City, AJ's Fine Foods, Eddie's Country Store and both Bashas' and Bashas' Diné supermarkets.

Related news: Retailer acquisition: Raley's gets Bashas'

Bashas’ supermarkets began in 1932, when brothers Ike and Eddie Basha Sr. opened the first Bashas’-branded grocery store five miles south of Chandler. Since then, the grocer has been a part of the fabric of Arizona, growing the company from one location to more than 100 statewide under multiple banners. The Basha family name is also on local streets and schools, demonstrating how engrained into Arizona the family and their company are.

These are some of the activities planned for the next 90 days:

  • July 11-12: Attempting to break a Guinness World Records title for the largest doughnut mosaic logo.
  • July 18-Sept. 23: Holding a “Community Choice Charity Challenge, in which community members will vote for one of the 32 nonprofit organizations in Bashas’ 2022 Charity of the Month fundraising program to receive an additional $50,000 from Bashas’.
  • July 27- Oct. 4: Weekly Grocery Gift Card Giveaways: Once a week, for 10 weeks, Bashas’ will randomly give away $500 in grocery gift cards. Each grocery week will coincide with Bashas’ weekly grocery ads. Shoppers who activate a Personal Thank You (loyalty) offer in their account each week will be automatically entered for a chance to win.
  • August-September: Bashas’ will award an additional $2,500 to two nonprofits — one in August and the other in September — based on nominations from team members about a local nonprofit that has impacted their life or the life of someone they love.
  • Sept. 17-18: Companywide, Bashas’ Family of Stores plans to give $100 to each of its 113 grocery stores in Arizona and New Mexico to perform a random act of kindness for their local community. Whether the store team decides to donate the money to a local food bank or shelter or give the funds to an individual struggling to pay for groceries, each store team will decide where the money will go.

“Bashas’ has provided significant contributions to Arizona on so many levels,” Mark Miller, president of Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, said in the release. “Every state should be lucky enough to have a supermarket chain like Bashas’... They truly care about our community.”

 

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