There is a story that Christin King loves to tell that illustrates how important grocery stores are to the local economy of communities: “Grocery is local. When we were building our communities, the first thing that they would build is a church, then a school, and then a store. That’s how involved grocery stores should be in our communities.”
HAC, Inc., headquarters are in Oklahoma City, and the prominent grocery chain has a significant presence in Oklahoma. As of 2021, HAC operates grocery stores under several well-known banners, including United, CashSaver and Homeland. Among these, Homeland stands out as HAC’s largest banner and is recognized as the largest locally owned grocery store chain in Oklahoma. HAC has been entirely employee-owned since 2011.
King explained, “This is important because when you shop at Homeland, you are putting money back into your local community and to those employee owners. Our employees have stock in the stores and are there to serve their communities, neighbors and friends. This is why we have such incredible customer service; when you shop at Homeland, you give back to your neighbors and friends. The people who work at our stores are so invested they are more likely to say hello and to go out of their way to help you find whatever it is that you need. The customer service is what sets these stores apart from big box chains.”
King is the leader of strategic marketing and partnership initiatives at HAC, and focuses on driving growth and engagement through campaigns, media plans and public relations. She said, “Collaboration is at the heart of what I do. At the end of the day, my mission is simple: Create marketing that matters. So many things end up in the Marketing Department. Building relationships with community partners is one of the largest parts of my job.
“We did a Turkey Giveaway for Thanksgiving and gave away 400 turkeys. For Christmas we had a Grab and Give, where our customers could donate $10 and help fund an entire meal for a family in the community. We serve so many communities across Oklahoma. I love working with the Thunder and with OU, and with other partners like the Oklahoma City YMCA and the Regional Food Bank. But I also love working with our small-town stores who support their local school wrestling program, or the drive to raise money for band uniforms.”
King’s advice for new leaders? “If you are working in Oklahoma, you will meet people and five years later, you will meet them again. Build and cultivate relationships with people, and remember that Oklahoma is a very small network of people. Invest in the people around you—that momentum will carry you on.”
