Corner Market: A Fresh Approach to Grocery Excellence

Award-winning team drives innovation in Mississippi.

At Corner Market’s 14 locations across Mississippi, colorful and eye-catching produce displays and innovative merchandising strategies aren’t just for show — they’re the cornerstone of a business philosophy that has helped this family-owned chain become a leader in fresh food retail.

Under the leadership of Price Mabry, vice president of sales and marketing for Roberts Company Inc., the parent company, Corner Market has transformed its produce departments into vibrant destinations that keep customers coming back.

“The produce department is one of the most important, if not the most important, part of a store,” says Mabry, winner of the 2024 International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Retail Merchant Innovation Award.

This focus on fresh has paid off. Corner Market’s stores range from smaller neighborhood locations to large format stores across urban and rural Mississippi. Stores carry between 300 and 700 produce SKUs, offering everything from locally sourced staples to exotic specialties through partnerships with suppliers, such as Indianapolis Fruit Company. Six-day-a-week delivery schedules ensure optimal freshness.

Corner Market has four small-, eight midsize and two large-format stores. Smaller stores have 300 to 400 SKUs focused on essential fruits, vegetables, and a few organic or specialty items. Midsized to large stores often stock 500 to 700 SKUs.

A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

The Corner Market story began in 1968 when H. David “Doc” Roberts founded Sunflower Market in Hattiesburg, MS. Today, the Roberts Company Inc., under third-generation owner David Roberts, operates 14 Corner Markets and five Grocery Depots throughout southern Mississippi.

Mabry has essentially been in the grocery retail business his whole life. “My dad ran grocery stores when I was a kid growing up in Oklahoma,” says Mabry. His father worked for United Supermarkets, now a wholly owned subsidiary of HAC Inc.

“From an early age, I was around grocery stores,” says Mabry. “Some kids want to grow up and be firefighters. Some kids want to play football. I wanted to work in a grocery store. I had a passion for it. As a kid, I liked being in the produce department, playing with water hoses, all that sort of thing.”

“The produce department is one of the most important, if not the most important, part of a store.”
— Price Mabry, Corner Market, Hattiesburg, MS

At 16, Mabry started bagging groceries for United Supermarkets, then moved to the produce department. He worked in produce until age 22, then worked his way up to assistant manager.

Mabry was recruited for the position of director of produce and floral for HAC, which operates stores under eight banners. After less than a year in that job, the Roberts Company came calling again, and Mabry became vice president of fresh for the Corner Market, a position he held for nearly two and a half years.

Now, he manages all aspects of sales — from produce and floral to meat, seafood, deli, bakery, grocery, dairy and frozen foods — while also directing the company’s marketing initiatives.

AWARD-WINNING TEAM

Corner Market’s success stems from its investment in people. The company’s produce managers have won the IFPA Produce Manager Award three years running. Bishop Tart earned the 2024 IFPA Produce Manager of the Year award. Olin Williams won the award in 2023, and Tyler Doggett in 2022.

“A successful produce department hinges on having a great produce manager,” says Mabry. “We can develop all the merchandising plans and offer the best prices, but without the right displays, it won’t translate to sales. The right price at the right time won’t drive results unless the displays are on point, and that’s where the produce manager plays a crucial role.”

EDUCATION AND INNOVATION

Corner Market invests heavily in employee education. Weekly produce manager calls keep teams informed about seasonal items and merchandising strategies. The company utilizes the STEP-UPP program through the Southeast Produce Council and maintains active involvement with the IFPA.

“We really invest in the produce manager, in the education piece, especially,” says Mabry.

Mabry says Corner Market doesn’t have an online option with third-party delivery services, such as DoorDash or Uber Eats, so people have to come to the store. “We go back again and again to produce being so important,” he says. “Quality and seasonality are so important.”

Corner Market emphasizes local sourcing through partnerships with farms like Faust Farms and Franky Bryant.

REACHING CUSTOMERS

There are many strategies to reach customers, such as informational cards or QR codes. Mabry says they’ve done all the standard things and it’s hard to track the success of those efforts. One thing they consistently do is tie everything to their ad — if something is in the ad, customers will also see it on the store’s social media. They track views and time spent on site, so they know what content is effective.

“It’s all about showing customers the right item at the right time, the right display, and then doing that on social media,” says Mabry.

He gives examples of cross-merchandising, such as placing hummus by carrots, or fresh-made salads in the deli department. Over Halloween, they created an advertisement that incorporated deli, packaged deli and packaged produce items on the same page.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

Mabry also recognizes the importance of developing and maintaining relationships with vendor partners, customers, employees and anyone else he meets.

“I really feel like long-term relationships get you further than anything else,” he says. “It’s not all about the retailer. You’ve got to do stuff that benefits the vendor, too. It’s so important that we as retailers can execute something that benefits the vendors, so they can continue to invest in us so we can meet the customers where they are and drive sales. It’s a two-way street.”

As Corner Market continues to grow and evolve, this commitment to relationships, quality, and community remains at the heart of their operation.

FACT FILE

Corner Market
Roberts Company Inc. headquarters: 1612 Adeline St., Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Phone: 601-545-3411
Hours: Individual store hours vary, most are Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Website: www.cornermarketms.com