All four will soon be sold to Harding’s Friendly Markets. Photos from Google Maps.
By Jordan Wilcox
Assistant Publisher
In late June, major news broke when SpartanNash announced their sale to a New Hampshire grocery conglomerate. As a Byron Center-based wholesaler for independent grocers and the owner of the Our Family and Family Fare brands, everyone knew that the acquisition would usher in a new era of change in the Southwest Michigan grocery scene.
Now, less than two months later, shoppers in Allegan, Colon, Decatur, and Gobles can expect another change. Harding’s Friendly Markets has entered into a tentative agreement to acquire all four of the Village Market Food Centers. Neither chain has made an official announcement yet, but rumors have been stirring, and Wilcox Newspapers was able to corroborate them with some very close sources.
Currently, the four Village Markets are owned by Murk Management out of South Haven, who also owns three Village Xpress gas stations and a car wash in South Haven. It is unknown who will keep these after the acquisition.
Harding’s Friendly Markets was founded by Mel Harding in 1944 and is headquartered in Plainwell. The group operates an independent chain of 28 grocery stores in cities across southwest Michigan and northern Indiana, including Bangor, Kalamazoo, Hartford, Plainwell, Schoolcraft, Three Rivers, and Wayland.
When news of the acquisition was leaked to the Allegan County Informed Facebook group, many Village Market shoppers expressed a desire to see lower prices and updates to the store. Since both chains are supplied by SpartanNash/Our Family, prices are unlikely to change much. However, Harding’s has been working to update the company’s stores. In a 2024 interview with Food Chain Magazine, company president Tim Harding had this to say on the topic, “In terms of improving our current portfolio, we are adding between three thousand and five thousand square feet to one of our locations, as well as providing updates as required in terms of modernized equipment and facelifts. We tend to average two or three stores a year undergoing this process.”
With no official announcement, the exact date of the changeover is unknown. Many shoppers have already reported seeing Harding’s influence in the Allegan and Decatur stores, though, and multiple sources point to the actual transition happening around October 1.
When asked for comment, both Murk Management and Harding’s Markets refused to say anything but did state that more information would be released in the near future.
I think it’s great that village market is going to be hardings. Maybe the prices will go down. So that we can actually afford something I’ll resign just bread and milk, it’s ridiculous. Their meat prices and prices for canned goods. Everything skyrocketed when they became the only store in town. That’s why so many of us shop out of town? Yay hardings is better. They have butter meals and they carry butter products. I’m happy they’re coming to Alĺegan
Wasn’t Allegan Village Market a Hardings in the past?
Yes. They sold it to the Murk’s in 1987.
I’m hoping for the best as I used to do the garden center even when it in the parking lot I used to run it when Terry Murk was with us and I ended up being a what ever needed done I new how to fix it until asked to be a cashier then I retired, both stores are good and so I will miss Darla and Steve but I’m’ happy for them, it’s time to relax and enjoy life, Dar