News / Press Release

BROOKINGS, OR (November 20, 2009) – Three years into the Pink 'R' program, the Ray's Foundation, supported by Ray's Food Place customers and employees has raised over $190,000 for local breast cancer research and awareness charities. This year's total, $72,101.65 exceeded the foundations goal by 44% and will benefit eleven local charities, selected by Ray's Food Place store managers.

"After last years outstanding show of community support for the Pink 'R' campaign, we were expecting a good response for 2009" remarked Alan Nidiffer, Vice President and CIO of C&K Market Inc. "we planned for a lower number to give to our eleven local charities and we ended up exceeding that number!"

Committed to Communities
The Ray's Foundation will donate 100% of the funds raised through the Pink 'R' campaign to eleven local non-profit breast cancer research and awareness organizations. From Bend, OR to Eureka, CA, the Pink 'R' campaign keeps local money raised with local organizations. "We're excited about the future of this campaign because it benefits our customers, our employees and our community," explained Nidiffer.

About the Ray's Foundation
The Ray's Foundation is a non-profit organization within the C&K Market, Inc. family. Created by Ray Nidiffer, the company founder and namesake, the Ray's Foundation's mission is to assist local C&K Market community organizations that focus on improving the health, education and vitality of their community. Each year the foundation awards over $100,000 to deserving organizations.

BROOKINGS, OR (September 11, 2009) – C&K Market, Inc. has retrofitted 11 of their Ray’s Food Place locations and 1 Shop Smart location with LED lighting in their freezer cases this year. The program has been so well received by customers, suppliers and employees that the company plans to extend the program to 22 more stores by November 30.

Refrigerated and freezer cases account for a significant amount of annual energy cost in the average supermarket. One in eight dollars spent on a store’s electricity come from the lighting used to illuminate those cases, according to the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In an effort to reduce those lighting costs and their carbon footprint, C&K Market, Inc., parent company of Ray’s Food Place and Shop Smart have partnered with Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. (PECI) and Day Electric to retrofit freezer cases with LED lighting in C&K Market Supermarkets.

Why LED? LED lighting in freezer cases use 50% or less energy than that consumed by fluorescent bulbs. LED lighting also works well in a cold environment, emitting less heat than fluorescents, requiring less effort and, thus, energy by the store’s refrigeration units. LED’s also have a long service-life, lasting a minimum of 50,000 hours, which is often as long as the cases they illuminate.

“Not only are we helping decrease our carbon footprint with these changes, we’re also enhancing the customer experience,” remarked Jimmy Martini, Controller for Brookings based C&K Market, Inc.

Brookings, OR (April 8, 2009) – C&K Market, Inc today announced an internal restructuring to address a drop in sales as the continuing recession impacts local retailers nationwide. The plan includes the elimination or consolidation of 63 full time positions and the modification of 21 positions from full time to part time. The impacted positions represent approximately three percent of C&K's workforce. "We have the utmost concern for our employees who were impacted by this restructuring and we will be working diligently to help them in any way we can," said Elizabeth Bauer, CFO and General Counsel for C&K.

Bauer said the plan was strategic and aggressive, to ensure it provides structural change sufficient to see the company through the near and long-term. "This is not a quick fix," said Bauer. "We worked hard to find ways to be more efficient in order to protect the greatest number of jobs for the over the long-term."

The impacted positions were identified first at the management level within the corporate office. Individual stores will be impacted where consolidation of functions and greater efficiencies are possible. Maintaining the highest level of customer service in C&K stores was paramount in creating the restructuring plan. Additionally, in order to protect the greatest number of jobs the plan also includes a 5% wage reduction for all employees earning more than $12 per hour.

The restructuring plan is expected to decrease the company's expenditures at a level sufficient to offset the anticipated slow sales throughout 2009.

"Retailers in all industries are feeling the impact of people spending less," said Bauer. "We have a responsibility to our employees and to the communities in which we operate to make careful and strategic decisions during this time."