Dive Brief:

• Joe Caputo & Sons Fruit Markets has bought four shuttered Dominick's supermarkets in the Chicago suburbs.
• The move is a big one for the independent grocer. The 25-year-old company has only three stores.
• The sale means that 19 of the 72 Dominick's stores that Safeway shuttered have now gone to other companies.

Dive Insight:

We've never been to a Caputo's. But at least for today, it's our favorite retail chain. When Safeway announced it was abandoning the Chicago region and closing its Dominick's chain, we worried that Chicago, like so much of America, would soon become an endless collection of big-brand retailers.

We, and perhaps some of the more dramatic residents of the Windy City, cried unto the heavens: Is there not a local grocer who can rescue us from this fate?

Enter Caputo's — hero to all who long for the days of local grocers, corner stores, and communities with distinct shopping experiences.