Thanks for voting us Best Grocery Store in Best of the Ozarks

Congrats to Helen Brammel for also being selected as “Runner-Up” in the Cashier category. Thanks for your votes!

(SPRINGFIELD, Mo.) – By popular demand, Price Cutter will bring a pop culture icon back to the Ozarks for the second consecutive year.  Emmy-nominated actor Larry Thomas, known to “Seinfeld” fans as The Soup Nazi, is scheduled to appear Feb. 16, exclusively at the Price Cutter booth, during the 27th Annual Sertoma Chili Cook-Off.
    Thomas received an Emmy nomination in 1996 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for the episode titled “The Soup Nazi,” during the show’s seventh season. His character coined the phrase, “No soup for you!”  He also took the stand against Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine during part two of the series finale.
     Among Thomas’ many motion picture and television credits are “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,” “Scrubs,” “Arrested Development” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
     Thomas will be at the Price Cutter booth, serving chili from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., and signing autographs from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. during the event, to be held at the Springfield Expo Center.
     Price Cutter’s exclusive “No Soup For You – Chili Cook-Off 2008” T-shirts will be available for purchase at the booth for Thomas to autograph, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Sertoma Club.  Fans are welcome to bring their own items for autographing, as well, such as DVDs of the popular television series, or bring their own cameras for photos with Thomas.
     For more information about Larry Thomas, visit his web site.

About RPCS Inc.
     RPCS Inc. evolved from the first Ramey grocery store in Springfield, Mo., opened in 1919 by John Ramey.  Today RPCS Inc. operates 32 grocery stores and 19 pharmacies in southwest Missouri under the Ramey, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, and Smitty’s banners, and the only online grocery store in southwest Missouri at PriceCutterOnline.com.
     RPCS Inc. also operates nine Food Pyramid grocery stores and three Pyramid Express convenience stores in the Tulsa area.
     The company, based in Springfield, Mo., is title sponsor of the Price Cutter Charity Championship, the local stop of the national PGA tournament, which has raised more than $5 million for children’s charities in the Ozarks. 
     On Jan. 1, 2005, RPCS Inc. became the first employee-owned grocery retailer in the region through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), offering employees the opportunity to participate in the company’s ownership. 
For more information, visit www.PriceCutterOnline.com.  

About the Sertoma Chili Cook-Off
     The 27th annual Sertoma Chili Cook-Off is scheduled for 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Springfield Expo Center, 635 St. Louis Street.
     All proceeds from the Sertoma Chili Cook-Off will go toward the following projects at the Springfield Boys & Girls Clubs: 
• Replace three transportation vehicles
• Summer Site Program at Campbell and McGregor Schools
• Youth Employment Opportunities (YEO) job training program for teens.
     Admission is $7 in advance, and $10 at the door.  Advance tickets are now available at Springfield area Price Cutter stores.
     For more information about the Sertoma Chili Cook-Off, call (417) 863-1231.

Saturday, Feb 2 – Sun, Feb 3

Missouri Entertainment & Events Center

Tickets on sale at Spfd area stores $7 adult, $5 child

Saturday, Jan 26 – Sunday, Jan 27

Missouri Entertainment & Events Center

Tickets on sale at Spfd area stores $2.50

The annual Celebration of Sharing luncheon was held Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007, at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield to present checks to 42 nonprofit organizations. The funds were a result of the local stop on the PGA Tour, the Price Cutter Charity Championship Presented by Dr Pepper, held each July at Highland Springs Golf Course.

Sara Cochran, director of special events and promotions for RPCS Inc., the parent company of Price Cutter, thanked the participating vendors, volunteers, and the team at Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on behalf of Price Cutter’s 2,500 employee-owners.

“Community support and involvement are very important to the employee-owners of Price Cutter,” Cochran said. “Pope John Paul II once said, ‘A community needs a soul if it is to become a true home for human beings.  You, the people must get it this soul.’ The 42 charities represented here today make up the soul of our community, supporting our youth.  The checks being presented here today by the Price Cutter Charity Championship are an investment in the soul of our community.”   

Rob Marsh, director of planning and development, then presented checks to representatives of the 42 charities.

This year, $650,308 was raised by the Price Cutter Charity Championship, making 2007’s tournament a record-setting year.

The 18-year grand total raised by the tournament now sits at $6,375,591.51.

Jerald Andrews, executive director of the Price Cutter Charity Championship and president/executive director of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, said that the next year’s Price Cutter Charity Championship will be held July 18-21, 2008.

Springfield’s GO Magazine, which is owned by the folks at 417 Magazine, features “The Hot List: 56 Things We Love Right Now” in its August 2007 issue.

We knew we were hot here at Price Cutter. Let’s face it. No other supermarket in the area brings you:

* Online grocery shopping with delivery or pick-up

* Full-service Starbucks (with free wi-fi) in Price Cutter Plus stores

* Sushi With Gusto made fresh daily

* Fine restaurant-quality USDA Prime meats

* A Kids’ Club that rocks

* The biggest golf tournament around, which has raised more than $6 million for area children’s charities

* Video rentals for just 99 cents

* Wedding necessities including floral bouquets and arrangements, cakes, deli trays, wine and spirits, and chocolate fountain rental

…just to name of few of our best qualities. (Golly, now we’re blushing!)

And now GO Magazine praises us for the fun visitors that we’ve recently brought to Springfield. Here’s an excerpt from the list in the August issue:

Hot cameos:
Price Cutter’s random celebrity drop-ins
Once every few months we’ll get a bit of interesting PR in our inboxes (No, “interesting PR” is not an oxymoron.) from Price Cutter spokesperson Jill Slack, announcing that some celebrity will be appearing at one of the local stores. The guests are decidedly E-list, but fun nonetheless. Last year saw both Rudy Ruettiger (the Notre Dame player of Rudy fame) and the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. We’re sure more are on tap. If it’s anyone from the cast of Wings, we are so there.

We’re honored to be included on this list. (I’m assuming “E-list” means “Excellent!”)

Thanks, GO Magazine! You’re pretty hot, yourself.

P.S. Click here to learn more about our visit from Rudy Ruettiger, who was the inspiration for the 1993 movie “Rudy,” starring Sean Astin. (That’s Rudy and yours truly in the photo to the left. Click on the photo to see the online photo album of some of our favorite customers meeting Rudy at our stores.)

P.P.S. Click here to read about our visit from Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi, Emmy-nominated actor Larry Thomas, who visited Price Cutter’s booth at the 2006 Sertoma Chili Cook-Off.

One of our own was crowned KSFX Ozarks Idol and will audition for American Idol this Friday in Omaha, Neb.

Ebony America Lynn Horgrow works in the deli at our Price Cutter Plus (#52) on W. Republic Road in Springfield. She was one of 15 finalists to compete at Battlefield Mall last Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007, and her prize is a guaranteed audition for American Idol.

Here’s a link to watch a short piece about Saturday’s competition that ran on the news programs at both KSFX Ozarks Fox and KOLR10 CBS:

http://ozarksfirst.com/media_player.php?media_id=14171

America said that she was interviewed for another piece, and the web site says that as Ozarks Idol the station will follow her as she competes, so we’ll post more info as it becomes available.

Congratulations on making it this far, America, and we’ve got our fingers crossed for the next step of your journey.

She’ll do a fantastic job Friday singing Stevie Wonder’s song, “Superstition,” for AI’s producers.

From today’s Tulsa World newspaper

by: DEBBIE BLOSSOM World Staff Writer
8/2/2007

Nine former Albertsons grocery stores, six of them in Tulsa, are reopening this week under the Food Pyramid banner.

The stores are owned by Springfield, Mo.-based RPCS Inc., which created the Food Pyramid name just for the Oklahoma market.

Six of the stores, three of them in Tulsa, reopened Wednesday.

The Tulsa locations are at 3328 E. 51st St., 7990 E. 51st St. and 10122 S. Memorial Drive. Food Pyramid locations in Bartlesville, Ponca City and Stillwater also opened Wednesday.

A store at 4818 E. 80th St. will open Thursday, and two other stores — at 3915 S. Peoria Ave. and 11214 E. 71st St. — will open Friday, company officials said.

Every Albertsons employee was given the opportunity to apply for a position at Food Pyramid, said RPCS spokeswoman Jill Slack.

“Everyone there was invited to reapply with us,” she said. While the number of employees to staff each store wasn’t released, “We need 1,000 employees for all the stores,” Slack said.

Customers will see familiar faces, said Sara Cochran, the company’s special events director. “Most of the employees at each store came back.”

Shoppers will also recognize familiar food brands along with new items, Cochran said, from a different distributor than what Albertsons used. They will also find reduced prices on about 10,000 items and an upgrade in beef quality, she said.

While Albertsons sold USDA select-grade beef, Food Pyramid offers USDA choice and prime cuts, Cochran said.

Other changes and improvements will come about gradually, she said, including on-site Starbucks coffee shops starting this fall and a $3 prescription program in all store pharmacies.

There are also more bakery and deli selections, and more natural, organic and international foods, Cochran said. Another added amenity is fresh sushi.

“The new store identity is more than a name or sign change,” Erick Taylor, RPCS president and CEO, said in a statement. “It is a customer promise — to provide high-quality products at a reasonable price — and to carry that customer commitment into the local community.”

Starting in 2005, RPCS became the first employee-owned grocery retailer in the region through an employee stock ownership plan that offers workers the opportunity to hold a stake in the company.

The company’s stores in Missouri and Arkansas operate under the Ramey, Price Cutter, Plus and Smitty’s names. In a statement Wednesday, RPCS said it operates 43 retail grocery stores, 28 in-store pharmacies, 11 Starbucks, three restaurants and three fuel centers.

Published at 10:33 am Aug. 1, 2007, in the Springfield News-Leader

RPCS Inc. is turning nine former Albertsons supermarkets and three fuel centers in Oklahoma into Food Pyramid stores after the Springfield-based grocery chain purchased the markets.

Food Pyramid will become the newest flag under RPCS, which also operates Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, Ramey and Smitty�s.

The first six Food Pyramid markets are open today, with the remaining stores changing over by Friday, the Springfield company said in a news release today.

Customers at the Food Pyramid markets will notice several immediate changes, including reduced prices on about 10,000 items and an upgrade in beef quality from USDA Select to USDA Choice and USDA Prime.

Other improvements will be gradual: There are plans for full-service Starbucks, $3 prescriptions program in all store pharmacies, expanded bakery and deli departments, a larger selection of natural, organic and international foods as well as fresh sushi.
“The new store identity is more than a name or sign change,” said Erick Taylor, RPCS, Inc. president and CEO. “It is a customer promise — to provide high-quality products at a reasonable price — and to carry that customer commitment into the local community.”

Food Pyramid Market locations are as follows

* 3328 E. 51st St., Tulsa
* 4818 E. 80th St. South, Tulsa
* 7990 E. 51st St., Tulsa
* 3915 S. Peoria, Tulsa
* 10122 S. Memorial Dr., Tulsa
* 11214 E. 71st St. South, Tulsa
* 2501 S.E. Washington Blvd., Bartlesville
* 2005 N. 14th, Suite 110, Ponca City
* 421 N. Main, Stillwater

Pyramid Express fuel centers locations are as follows
* 7990 E. 51st St., Tulsa
* 2501 S.E. Washington Blvd., Bartlesville
* 421 N. Main, Stillwater

Today, RPCS Inc. operates 43 retail grocery stores, 28 in-store pharmacies, 11 Starbucks, three restaurants and three fuel centers.

Our five Big Green Eggs now have homes!

Five Big Green Eggs were given away in a random drawing of entry forms completed at our stores. The Big Green Eggs were provided by Price Cutter, Outdoor Home and Farmland pork - “The other white meat.”

Congrats to each of our winners! We know you’ll enjoy your fantastic Big Green Eggs for years to come, and we appreciate that you shop with us.

Our winners:

Leigh Ash of Springfield
Price Cutter Plus #55 - Nixa

Toni Stanley, Springfield
Price Cutter Plus #4 - Ozark

Connie Pritchard, Springfield
Price Cutter Plus #52 - W. Republic Road, Springfield

Bob James, Joplin
Price Cutter Plus #51 - S. National, Springfield

Leon Lawson, Marshfield
Price Cutter Plus #3 - W. Grand, Springfield

July 25 is a little early to think about going back to school, especially when you’re a kid. At Price Cutter, we’re getting ready for back-to-school with great school supplies coming soon.

Meanwhile, we’ve gathered school supply lists for many of the districts where our stores are located. If you don’t see your school supply list, we haven’t been able to find it online.

Joplin, Missouri

Springfield, Missouri

Waynesville, Missouri

Webb City, Missouri

Springfield R-12 schools has posted this list for grades K - 5, but individual teachers may choose to alter their lists.

Springfield area schools with lists posted to their individual web sites include:

Boyd

Cowden

Disney Elementary

Horace Mann Elementary

Immaculate Conception

Pershing

Pittman

St. Agnes

Wanda Gray

From the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise.

Last modified: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 2:14 PM CDT

RPCS Inc., based in Springfield, Mo., will take possession of Bartlesville’s Albertsons grocery store on Wednesday evening and is expected to announce a name change soon, according to RPCS Marketing Representative Sara Cochran.

RPCS announced last month that a high quality, aggressively priced grocery store will replace the current Albertsons on South Washington Boulevard and will open this week.

The store plans a “soft opening,” said Cochran. “There was no way everything could come in the first night, so we’ll be trickling in changes over the next couple of weeks.”

Cochran said RPCS also bought the Savon Pharmacy and the Albertsons Express gas station. Both will operate under the umbrella of the new banner.

On Aug. 1, the sign will be hoisted bearing the new name of the grocery store, according to Cochran. A newspaper ad will also announce the name change.

“It’s still our company, but it will be under a brand new banner,” Cochran said.

Currently, RPCS operates about 35 grocery stores in Missouri under the banners of Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, Ramey and Smitty’s.

RPCS also purchased Albertsons stores in Tulsa, Ponca City and Stillwater. When all the stores have their signs in place, the grand openings will commence.

Officials at RPCS said the new Bartlesville store will offer name brands and lots of variety. It will continue to offer a deli, bakery and a “choice” meat market program.

Amenities such as a Starbucks coffee shop often partner with select stores in the regional RPCS chain. The Bartlesville location can expect a Starbucks coffee shop this fall, according to officials.

Albertsons announced last month it was pulling out of the Oklahoma market and was selling 23 stores to four member retailers of the Association of Wholesale Grocers — Homeland, Reasor’s, RPCS, and Williams Discount Foods.

Click here to see the News-Leader’s video “Price Cutter Charity Championship volunteers battle the heat.”

Click here for the News-Leader’s video “Teen takes a chance at pro tour.”

And click here for KY3’s video “Charities pitch in at golf tournament in exchange for funds.”

Click here to see a video about volunteers at Price Cutter Charity Championship.

Published July 15, 2007, on the front page of the Springfield News-Leader

Annual golf tournament benefits multiple charities, touches innumerable lives.

Steve Koehler
News-Leader

There are plenty of ordinary reasons why someone would want to go to this week’s Price Cutter Charity Championship golf tournament.
But one of the best ones rests quietly in the neonatal intensive care unit at Cox South, in the arms of Yvonne Vasquez. Read the rest of this entry »

From the Springfield News-Leader

Published July 4, 2007

Didi Tang
News-Leader

A Springfield-based grocery chain soon expects to be running nine former Albertsons stores with an average size of 60,000 square feet in the Tulsa area.
The acquisition will be the first major expansion outside southwest Missouri for RPCS Inc. — which owns Price Cutter Plus, Price Cutter, Ramey and Smitty’s grocery stores. It almost doubles the number of Price Cutter Plus stores that the employee-owned company runs.

“It’s incredible that (RPCS) can act upon an opportunity like this,” said Dan Shaul, state director of Missouri Grocers Association. “It’s very impressive.”

At RPCS’s home office on Barnes Avenue, president and CEO Erick Taylor said it was May 1 when the company learned the Tulsa area stores were up for grabs.

Albertsons LLC, a grocery company out of Idaho, was planning to exit Oklahoma, selling 23 stores in the state to Associated Wholesale Grocers, based in Kansas City.

AWG tapped its retailer members, including RPCS, to take over the stores, and the Springfield grocery chain bid for those in the Tulsa area.

“We like Tulsa, because it’s close to Springfield, and the towns are very similar to each other,” Taylor said. “We felt comfortable to look at the competition in that market.”

Terms of the purchase are not disclosed, but the acquisition is expected to add $11 million worth of inventory and “very nice equipment” to RPCS and boost its total sales, Taylor said.

The new stores also are expected to use the AWG distribution center in Springfield and push up warehouse volumes by 5 percent, he said.

Taylor said while RPCS has been exploring new markets outside its core region, Tulsa had never come up as a possibility before May.

“We didn’t look at Tulsa because there was no store opportunity,” he said.

The expansion will not affect RPCS’ future growth in southwest Missouri, Taylor said.

The grocery chain soon will formally announce its 11th Price Cutter Plus store at West Bypass and Chestnut Expressway, Taylor said.

Such a supermarket typically costs $7 million to build, he said, adding that new jobs will be created.

The new acquisition could benefit all RPCS shoppers, too, Taylor said.

“It should help all of our customers with better prices and better quality,” he said. “We’ll be buying for 43 stores, instead of 34.”

In addition to 10 Price Cutter Plus stores, RPCS has one limited-assortment store in Arkansas.

RPCS stores average at 45,000 square feet in size, while Price Cutter Plus stores typically have more than 60,000 square feet, Taylor said.

The new stores in the Tulsa area will come under a brand new banner, said Taylor, who is keeping the name a secret for now.

Other planned changes at the new stores, he said, include:

- Upgrading the quality of beef from USDA Select to USDA Choice, and adding natural beef

- Adding Starbucks stores

- Lowering prices on about 10,000 items

- Expanding bakery and deli departments, with the possibility of adding sushi bars

- Introducing more natural, organic and international foods

- Possibly working with local producers in Oklahoma to have a program similar to Missouri Made.

For now, executives of RPCS have been shuttling between Springfield and Tulsa, exercising due diligence to make sure the properties have no significant damage as well as preparing for the takeover, which is slated for July 23 to Aug. 1, Taylor said.

Three of the nine new supermarkets come with convenient stores.

Taylor said RPCS will lease the real estate for the stores and that RPCS will retain most former employees of more than 1,000.

Ron Edgmon, president and CEO of Oklahoma Grocers Association, said his group welcomes RPCS. Both grocers associations in Oklahoma and Missouri represent independent retailers such as RPCS.

“We’re very excited about (RPCS) coming over,” Edgmon said. “We’re happy about having independent retailers in this part of the state.”

He said RPCS is known as “a very good company, very solid and very community-oriented.”

For Shaul, the fact that the Springfield company can quickly act upon the opportunity is “a tribute” to its management and Taylor.

“Erick has done a great job running the stores in southwest Missouri, and he will run (the Tulsa area) stores well,” Shaul said.

Reported in Tulsa World newspaper

by: DEON HAMPTON World Staff Writer
7/4/2007

North Tulsa residents and businesses are disappointed the Albertsons grocery store near the intersection of Pine Street and Peoria Avenue is closing in August.

Some believe the overall perception of north Tulsa is one reason why.

For nearly three years, residents and businesses have benefited from having the nationwide grocery chain anchor the shopping center.

North Tulsa consumer and resident Michael Evitt depends on the store to buy items for his wife, who lives at Rest Haven Nursing Center, 1944 N. Iroquois Ave.

He said he walks four miles to and from the nursing home daily, but stops by Albertsons on the way.

“I’m highly disappointed,” said Evitt, who heard the news from other residents at Rest Haven.

Albertsons is leaving the state, having sold six of its stores in the Tulsa area to Missouri-based RPCS Inc.

Tahlequah-based Reasor’s bought the Albertsons at 15th Street and Lewis Avenue.

The Albertsons in Owasso will also close in August.

North Tulsa customers want to know why their Albertsons is closing.

“They knew when they moved the store here what they were getting,” Evitt said.

North Tulsa is sometimes perceived as a low-income and crime area, he said.

Shopper Jackie Evans said she believes the perception of north Tulsa played a part in the store not being purchased.

Jennifer Vroman, spokeswoman for Albertsons LLC., said she is aware of the target market for the north Tulsa location and has visited the area on several occasions.

“The store struggled financially for quite some time, and we were unable to make the store successful,” she said. “Looking at it from a long-term perspective, the viability wasn’t there.”

Vroman didn’t know if attempts to sell the Albertsons were in the buying agreements between Reasor’s or RPCS.

Albertsons had to take the best deal possible, Vroman said.

Rob Marsh, director of planning and development for RPCS Inc., confirmed that there were discussions to buy the Albertsons in north Tulsa and Owasso.

“Both stores were losing money, and we couldn’t get the numbers worked out,” Marsh said in a telephone interview.

“We aren’t the ones closing the store. We tried to make it a go.”

Jeff Reasor, president and CEO of Reasor’s, considered purchasing the north Tulsa location and the store in Owasso but said several factors came into play.

“A few years ago we wanted to purchase the north Tulsa location, but we can’t now,” Reasor said.

The company recently took out an employee stock ownership plan, making the grocery store employee owned, he said.

The plan puts restrictions on assets and the number of stores the company can purchase.

Reasor also said an Owasso store will open in the upcoming months, leaving no reason to purchase the Albertsons.

Evans said before the Albertsons opened at 1601 N. Peoria Ave., she drove to south Tulsa for shopping, something she prefers not to do again.

“It’s not comfortable, and I want a close store to shop at - period,” she said.

Evans said the store had its drawbacks, and she never agreed with the food prices. But, she is disappointed to see the store leave because it’s convenient.

“I managed to shop around the high prices by taking advantage of coupons and sales,” Evans said.

Evitt said groceries are expensive, but the store had quality food.

Prices are why north Tulsa resident Yevette Nelson has never shopped at the Peoria location.

“I do feel bad for the employees who will lose their jobs,” she said.

Albertsons employees will be allowed to interview at other locations. Each Albertsons has about 100 employees. Eligible workers who are not retained will be given severance pay, Vroman said.

 

This summer, your grocer wants the chance to throw its two cents worth into your travel plans. Two businesses based in the Ozarks announced a first-time offer to provide customers with some relief from high gas prices in time for summer driving season. Now through the end of August 2007, Cody’s Convenience Stores will subtract two cents per gallon for customers who present a receipt for a purchase of $30 or more, not more than seven days old, from Ramey, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, and Smitty’s grocery stores. 

“With gas prices so high again this summer, we wanted to find a way to help ease the pain at the gas pumps,” said Rob Marsh, director of planning and development for RPCS Inc., the parent company of the grocery store chain. “It’s just another way for us to let our customers know how much we appreciate them.”

About Price Cutter

RPCS Inc., the parent company of Price Cutter, now owns a total of 33 retail grocery stores in Missouri, 1 in northwest Arkansas. Plans to purchase nine Albertson’s grocery stores and three Albertson’s convenience stores in the Tulsa, Okla., area were announced June 20. The company also offers e-grocery shopping (with delivery or pick-up available) based in Springfield and Joplin.

RPCS Inc.’s beginnings date back to 1919 with the opening of the first modern supermarket in Springfield.

On Jan. 1, 2005, RPCS Inc. became the first employee-owned grocery retailer in the region through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), offering employees the opportunity to participate in the company’s ownership. 

The company is title sponsor of the Price Cutter Charity Championship, the local stop of the national PGA tournament, which has raised more than $5 million for children’s charities in the Ozarks. 

For more information about the company, visit www.PriceCutterOnline.com.  

About Cody’s

The first Cody’s store was opened in Rogersville, Mo., in the mid-1880s. It was purchased by Springfield-based CRW Properties in 2002 and quickly expanded to 18 stores serving Republic, Springfield, Battlefield, Monett, Nixa, Waynesville, Joplin, Rogersville, and Hollister.
 
For more information about the company, visit www.JaredEnterprises.com or www.CodysCS.com.

 Progressive Grocer Magazine wrote about us in their June 29, 2007, email newsletter.

Ramey’s Price Cutter Works with C-Store on Cents-Off Fuel Promo
Progressive Grocer

JUNE 29, 2007 — SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - RPCS Inc., based here, parent company of Price Cutter, forged a first-time offer with Cody’s Convenience Stores to provide customers with some relief from high gas prices in time for summer driving season. Now through the end of August, Cody’s will subtract two cents per gallon for customers who present a receipt for a purchase of $30 or more, not more than seven days old, from Ramey, Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, and Smitty’s grocery stores.

“With gas prices so high again this summer, we wanted to find a way to help ease the pain at the gas pumps,” said Rob Marsh, director of planning and development for RPCS Inc., parent company of the 34-store chain. “It’s just another way for us to let our customers know how much we appreciate them.”
RPCS Inc. owns a total of 33 retail grocery stores in Missouri and one in northwest Arkansas. Plans to purchase nine Albertson’s grocery stores and three Albertson’s convenience stores in the Tulsa, Okla., area were announced early this month. The company also offers e-grocery shopping, with delivery or pick-up available, in Springfield and Joplin.

On Jan. 1, 2005, RPCS became the first employee-owned grocery retailer in the Ozark region through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), offering employees the opportunity to participate in the company’s ownership. The company is title sponsor of the Price Cutter Charity Championship, the local stop of the national PGA tournament, which has raised more than $5 million for children’s charities in the Ozarks.

Published on the newspaper’s web site (Springfield News-Leader).

Published at 8:57 am | July 25, 2007
A Springfield-based grocery chain will take possession of a Bartlesville, Okla., Albertsons tonight, the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise reported.

RPCS Inc. is expected to announce a name change soon.

RPCS has also purchased Albertsons stores in Tulsa, Ponca City and Stillwater.

The chain operates about 35 grocery stores in Missouri under the names of Price Cutter, Price Cutter Plus, Ramey and Smitty’s.