Hornbacher's
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedHornbacher's is a regional supermarket chain serving communities in the Fargo–Moorhead area of the United States.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hornbacher's is a regional supermarket brand whose stores serve Fargo and West Fargo in North Dakota and Moorhead in Minnesota. The chain began in 1951, when Ted Hornbacher and Jim Custer opened a grocery store at the corner of Eighth Street and Main Avenue in Moorhead. From that local beginning, Hornbacher's developed into a multi-store operator with a strong presence in the Fargo–Moorhead market. The company expanded beyond its original Moorhead base during the 1950s and 1960s. A Northport store opened in north Fargo in 1956 and later housed Hornbacher's corporate offices. The Moorhead operation moved to a larger facility in 1958, while the Village West store opened in Fargo in 1974 near West Acres Shopping Center. These locations helped establish the chain as a locally recognized supermarket competitor in the Red River Valley. Hornbacher's became part of SuperValu in 1975. Under that ownership, the chain continued to add locations and modernize its retail offer. The Express store in Fargo was added in 1990, and the Southgate store opened in 1994. In 2006, the company opened its Osgood store in Fargo, added gasoline retailing at that location, introduced Hornbacher's To Go home delivery in Fargo, and completed a remodel of the Northport store. Gasoline service was later added at Southgate as well. The brand has used its local identity as a central point of differentiation. Its advertising moved away from the longtime “We make shopping EASY!” slogan in 2009, first adopting a broader SuperValu-associated message and later emphasizing “Serving Our Community Since 1951.” Hornbacher's also refreshed its visual identity in 2014 with a logo built around a stylized H in a black circle. These changes reflected an effort to balance regional familiarity with the resources and operating structure of a larger parent organization. Hornbacher's briefly extended its footprint to Grand Forks, North Dakota, operating there from October 2015 until December 2018. The chain's current operating territory is concentrated in the Fargo–Moorhead area, where it remains a neighborhood-oriented supermarket business offering groceries, fresh foods, prepared foods, household necessities, delivery, and selected fuel services. After a change in ownership involving United Natural Foods, Hornbacher's became a wholly owned subsidiary of Coborn's, Inc., a grocery company based in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The brand continues to operate under the Hornbacher's name rather than being absorbed into Coborn's broader retail identity.
History
Hornbacher's traces its origins to 1951, when Ted Hornbacher and Jim Custer opened a grocery store at Eighth Street and Main Avenue in Moorhead, Minnesota. The founding store established the brand's long-term connection with the Fargo–Moorhead region, a metropolitan area spanning the Minnesota–North Dakota border. Rather than beginning as a national concept, Hornbacher's developed as a local supermarket business shaped by the shopping needs of nearby communities. The first major expansion came in 1956 with the opening of the Northport location in north Fargo. Northport subsequently served as the company's corporate-office location until the opening of the Osgood store in 2006. In 1958, the original Moorhead operation moved to a larger facility on the east side of Eleventh Street and Main Avenue, providing additional capacity as the business grew. The Village West store opened in Fargo in 1974 across from West Acres Shopping Center, strengthening the chain's presence in one of the area's important commercial districts. In 1975, Hornbacher's was acquired by SuperValu Inc. The transaction placed the regional chain within a larger grocery-distribution and retail organization while allowing Hornbacher's to continue operating under its established name. The chain added the Express store in Fargo in 1990 and opened the Southgate location in Fargo in 1994. These additions broadened the brand's coverage across the Fargo market and gave it a combination of conventional supermarket and smaller-format capabilities. A further period of development occurred in 2006. Hornbacher's opened its sixth store in the Osgood neighborhood of Fargo, its first location to offer gasoline. The company also launched Hornbacher's To Go home delivery in Fargo, extending the brand beyond in-store shopping. The Northport store completed a remodel that October. Fuel service later expanded to the Southgate store on 32nd Avenue South in Fargo. The company revised its marketing presentation in 2009. It removed the older Hornbacher's H treatment used in print and television advertising and retired the “We make shopping EASY!” slogan. The brand initially adopted “Good Things are just around the corner,” a message also used by other Supervalu-owned stores. It later moved to “Serving Our Community Since 1951,” placing greater emphasis on regional history and local service in competition with chains such as Family Fare and Walmart. In 2014, Hornbacher's introduced another logo update featuring a stylized H inside a black circle, with the brand name arranged above it. Hornbacher's expanded outside the Fargo–Moorhead area when it operated a Grand Forks, North Dakota, store from October 2015 until December 2018. The Grand Forks operation was ultimately discontinued, leaving the chain concentrated in its historic core market. Ownership changed again after United Natural Foods became associated with the Supervalu grocery business. On November 29, 2018, Coborn's announced plans to purchase Hornbacher's from United Natural Foods. Hornbacher's subsequently became a wholly owned subsidiary of Coborn's, Inc., headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The brand retained its name and regional identity. Its present profile is that of an active local supermarket chain operating eight stores in Fargo, West Fargo, and Moorhead, with grocery, fresh-food, prepared-food, delivery, and selected fuel offerings.
- 2018
Coborn's announced acquisition
[1]Coborn's announced that it would purchase Hornbacher's from United Natural Foods.
- 2015
Grand Forks expansion
[1]Hornbacher's began operating a store in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in October.
- 2014
Logo redesigned
[1]Hornbacher's introduced a logo centered on a stylized H inside a black circle.
- 2009
Advertising identity revised
[1]The chain retired its longtime advertising slogan and refreshed its advertising approach, later emphasizing its community history.
- 2006
Osgood store and home delivery launched
[1]Hornbacher's opened its Osgood store, introduced gasoline retailing, and began Hornbacher's To Go home delivery in Fargo.
- 1994
Southgate location opened
[1]The Southgate store opened in Fargo, expanding the chain's local coverage.
- 1990
Express store added
[1]Hornbacher's added its Express store in Fargo.
- 1975
Acquired by SuperValu
[1]SuperValu Inc. acquired Hornbacher's, bringing the regional chain into a larger grocery organization.
- 1974
Village West location opened
[1]Hornbacher's opened a Fargo store across from West Acres Shopping Center.
- 1958
Moorhead store moved to a larger facility
[1]The Moorhead operation relocated to a larger site on the east side of Eleventh Street and Main Avenue.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented regional supermarket chain combining full-service grocery shopping with fresh-food departments, delivery, and selected fuel services.
Grocery retail
Full-service supermarket assortment
Hornbacher's stores provide a conventional supermarket assortment spanning packaged groceries, refrigerated and frozen foods, beverages, dairy, eggs, household goods, and personal-care products. The chain's retail format is designed for routine weekly shopping in the Fargo–Moorhead market.
Fresh grocery
Fresh foods
Fresh-food departments are a central part of the Hornbacher's supermarket offer, including produce, meat, seafood, bakery items, deli products, and prepared foods. These departments support the chain's positioning as a full-service regional grocer rather than a limited-assortment retailer.
Grocery delivery · 2006
Hornbacher's To Go
Hornbacher's To Go is the brand's home-delivery service, introduced in Fargo in 2006. It extended the supermarket relationship into off-site ordering and delivery, complementing the chain's physical stores.
Fuel retail · 2006
Fuel stations
Hornbacher's added gasoline retailing at the Osgood store in 2006 and later added a station at Southgate on 32nd Avenue South in Fargo. Fuel is an ancillary service available at selected locations rather than the chain's primary business.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Good Things are just around the corner
Fargo · West Fargo · Moorhead
Hornbacher's revised its advertising after retiring the older H logo treatment and the “We make shopping EASY!” slogan. It adopted “Good Things are just around the corner,” a message associated with Supervalu-owned stores at the time.
Outcome. The message was later replaced by a community-focused positioning centered on serving the region since 1951.
- 2009Serving Our Community Since 1951
Fargo · West Fargo · Moorhead
Hornbacher's subsequently emphasized its local heritage with the “Serving Our Community Since 1951” message, distinguishing the regional chain from larger national and multi-state competitors.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced Hornbacher's community-oriented identity and its connection to the Fargo–Moorhead area.
Brand decisions
2018
Coborn's purchase of Hornbacher'sM&ABackground
Hornbacher's was owned by United Natural Foods following changes involving the Supervalu grocery business.
Action taken
Coborn's announced that it would purchase Hornbacher's from United Natural Foods.
Aftermath
Hornbacher's became a wholly owned Coborn's subsidiary and continued operating under the Hornbacher's name in its established regional market.
2006
Added delivery and fuel servicesStrategyBackground
Hornbacher's was expanding its physical store base and looking for ways to broaden the services available through its supermarkets.
Action taken
The company opened the Osgood store, introduced gasoline retailing, launched Hornbacher's To Go home delivery in Fargo, and remodeled Northport.
Aftermath
Fuel service was later extended to Southgate, while delivery added a convenience-oriented element to the chain's grocery offer.
1975
SuperValu acquisitionM&ABackground
Hornbacher's had developed from a Moorhead grocery store into a regional supermarket chain with locations in Fargo and surrounding communities.
Action taken
SuperValu Inc. acquired Hornbacher's while the chain continued to trade under its established regional brand.
Aftermath
Hornbacher's expanded its store network and services during the following decades while remaining a distinct local supermarket identity.
Sources1 sources
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