Jim Pattison Food Group Acquires US based Save Mart

Save Mart Companies has gone through its second ownership change in two years, and this time, it’s grown further from its family-owned roots.

The Jim Pattison Group — based in Canada — purchased Save Mart effective Tuesday, said President Ryan Barrington-Foote. The sale includes the Lucky and FoodMaxx stores.

The company will remain headquartered in Modesto and nothing will change. Save Mart will continue to run its business with its existing management team and employees.

“This acquisition supports our group’s desire to continue our growth in the retail food business,” he said.

In 2021, Chris McGarry became the first CEO who was not a member of Save Mart’s founding family, the Piccininis. A year later, Save Mart Companies was sold to Los Angeles-based private equity firm Kingswood Capital Management LP.

It has not been announced whether McGarry remains CEO and what will become of the company’s partnerships with Super Store Industries in Lathrop and Sunnyside Farms in Turlock.