The business was founded in 1939 as a 1,000 square foot store in north St. Louis City. It was the wife of Edwin H. Schnuck, Anna, who opened their first retail store. Edwin really started the family business as a wholesale meat business in 1937. As part of the entrepreneurial skills of the family, their oldest son Ed followed their lead by opening a corner store in the area. Later on, two more stores were opened by their daughter Annette and their son Donald. Eventually their children sold their businesses to join the growing family business.
Through acquisitions and diversifying their service, the company has seen tremendous growth that by the 1970s they are already considered as one of the leading combination food and drug stores. Today, the business is considered as a billion dollar enterprise that employs a total of roughly 14,500 employees.