▁ 4 3 9 ▁unit ▁J . J . ▁New berry ▁Company ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁ ▁It ▁operated ▁New berry ▁as ▁a ▁separate ▁division ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁open ▁stores ▁under ▁the ▁New berry ▁b anner . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁McC r ory ▁purchased ▁the ▁S . H . ▁K ress ▁& ▁Co . ▁chain ▁from ▁Gen es co . ▁ ▁The ▁ 6 6 ▁store ▁chain , ▁once ▁a ▁fier ce ▁rival , ▁was ▁a ▁natural ▁fit ▁for ▁the ▁variety ▁store ▁chain . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁economic ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁progress ed , ▁so ▁did ▁the ▁success es ▁of ▁McC r ory . ▁ ▁They ▁continued ▁to ▁expand ▁and ▁rem odel ▁stores ▁as ▁volume ▁and ▁prof its ▁grew ▁expon entially . ▁ ▁McC r ory ▁purchased ▁the ▁Oklahoma - based ▁T G & Y ▁Dis count ▁store ▁chain ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁This ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁difficult ▁transition ▁for ▁the ▁company ▁as ▁the ▁disc ount ▁chain ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁natural ▁fit ▁for ▁McC r ory . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁the ▁stores ▁were ▁beyond ▁the ▁typical ▁ 1 0 - 1 5 K ▁S q . ▁F t . ▁foot print ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁operated ▁in ▁and ▁the ▁mer ch and ise ▁mix ▁was ▁very ▁different . ▁ ▁The ▁T G & Y ▁stores ▁were ▁not ▁prof itable ▁and ▁dra ined ▁McC r ory ▁of ▁valuable ▁assets . ▁ ▁Many