Festival Foods has been sold.

It was announced on Tuesday, that the formerly Wisconsin based grocer has been sold to the 1939 Group, which is tied to Schnuck Markets (story HERE).

They’re headquartered in Missouri. Schnucks had a store in Janesville but it closed (story HERE) when the market “evolved”.

While the sale shouldn’t be cause for panic for Green Bay customers of Festival Foods, it should be cause for concern.

There will be change. Change after a sale, no matter how the transition is handled or the intentions behind remaining faithful to the old ways of doing things, will always happen.

That could be a problem if you like the current experience at Festival Foods.

Grocery stores always thrive when the local flavor is present. Green Bay shoppers want a Wisconsin experience. Not a system shipped in from Missouri.

Green Bay consumers will go to Wal Mart to save money, but that experience is similar to a hostile storming of a castle.

Green Bay consumers will go to Aldi, but you and I both know that a second trip to another store is almost always needed.

Green Bay consumers, might still be experimenting with Hy-Vee, but that Iowa grocer can’t seem to stop raising prices.

Festival Foods isn’t perfect. I’ve goofed on them plenty of times. But the experience is pleasant enough.

Now, we’ve got an out of state company moving into our communities and affecting something that is more personal than you realize, when you’re not taking it for granted.

Let’s see where the road takes us. But if Festival starts moving in a direction that you don’t appreciate, let your voice be heard.