Timeline: Supervalu through the years

Supervalu for many years dominated the grocery scene in the Upper Midwest. Key dates in its history:

1870s-1926: Several small wholesalers and distributors in the Twin Cities combine in the years around the turn of the century. By 1926, they form Winston and Newell Co.

1930-31: Winston and Newell opens distribution centers in Des Moines, Bismarck, N.D., Fargo, N.D., and Aberdeen, S.D.

1940s: Winston and Newell aligns independently owned retailers in "virtual" chains that adopt names like Super Valu and U-Save.

1942: Winston and Newell serves 560 stores, adds frozen foods to its goods.

1954: Winston and Newell changes its name to Super Valu.

1950s-1980s: Buys regional grocery distributors elsewhere in Midwest, southeast and northwest U.S.

1980: Buys Cub Foods, then a five-store chain based in Stillwater, marking the first time it has directly owned a grocery store.

1988: Opens Cub's 50th store, while its wholesale operation serves 3,100 stores in 32 states.

1992: Changes its name to Supervalu Inc., buys St. Louis-based Wetterau Inc., becoming the owner of the Shop 'n Save and Save-A-Lot chains.

1999: Buys Virginia-based Richfood Holdings, adding wholesale operations and three more grocery chains.

2002: Buys SVHarbor, an internet grocery distributor.

2005: Buys W. Newell, a specialty produce distribution company.

2006: Buys Albertsons Inc., the nation's second-largest grocery chain with more than 1,100 stores, for $12 billion.

2013: Sells Albertsons and related chains purchased in 2006 for $3.3 billion.

2016: Sells Sav-A-Lot grocery chain, its largest after the Albertsons sale, for $1.4 billion.

2017: Buys Unified Grocers, a California-based wholesaler, in January and Associated Grocers of Florida, another distributor, in October.

2018: United Natural Foods Inc. buys Supervalu for $2.9 billion, announces plans to sell Cub and other grocery chains owned by Supervalu.