CHICAGO – The Illinois Retail Merchants Association will honor Potash Markets, Chicago, as its 2011 Illinois Retailer of the Year during a gala luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago.
The annual award is given to a retailer not only successful in business, but committed to community and civic affairs and respected in the industry.
A family-owned and operated business since 1950, Potash Markets is a full-service grocery with three locations in downtown Chicago. They offer personalized service in the Gold Coast (875 N. State St.) and Sandburg Village (1525 N. Clark St.) neighborhoods of Chicago as well a store for residents in the John Hancock Center.
“These are people who take care of their own – their family, their employees, their customers and their neighbors. They make them feel as though they’re a part of the business,” said IRMA President & CEO David F. Vite. “They also give their time and effort to the retail industry. So we’re proud to honor them in this way.”
Siblings Dave, Melvin, Marian and the late Herbert Potash opened the first store 61 years ago. The three surviving siblings still work in the company while Mel’s son, Art Potash, serves as CEO.
Potash Markets flourishes amidst the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago because it focuses on the people who make up the business.
They oblige customers requesting donations for fundraisers, give regularly to neighborhood churches and schools, and even create special memento books to the families of newborn babies. When employees need help, they have offered interest-free loans or arranged flexible work schedules. Employees return that loyalty, and many stay at the company for 30, 40 or 50 years.
Close relationships also develop with other business partners. The company has stayed with the same accountant, attorney and insurance agent for decades.
The Potash family gets involved in the industry, through organizations like the Illinois Food Retailers Association and the Food Marketing Institute. Mel Potash is a past chairman of the Illinois Food Retailers Association. Art Potash currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Food Marketing Institute.
Earlier this year, Art participated in a press conference at the request of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin on the Senator’s Swipe Fee amendment for credit card reform. It was just one example of how this small family business was able to make a difference for retailers of all sizes across the country.
Retail success is nothing new to this company. At one point, in the late 1960s, Potash boasted the highest volume sales per square foot of any grocer in the country. More recently, the retailer redesigned its stores in an effort to make the customers’ experience more satisfying, fun and convenient.
Potash Markets now features the new Sandburg Wine Cellar, a sushi counter run by Chef Danny Chan, a meat department that creates signature sausages in-house, and a deli menu of restaurant quality.
Source: Illinois Retail Merchants Association
