Food systems re-localization is considered a mean to foster regional sustainable development. Retailers, heterogeneous in terms of activities (specialized or not, having a processing activity – like butchers or bakery – or not) and business models (belonging to supermarket chains, independent retailers …), are widely involved in re-localization trends, and in regional branding initiatives. However, they are largely neglected in literature as well as in public initiatives. We hypothesize that, through their involvement, these intermediaries use and/or create local resources and may influence the coordination of agents in food supply chains, which are the two pillars of territorial development. This research aims at studying how retailers may influence local development by participating to initiatives for re-localization of food systems and regional branding. We propose an analytical framework crossing two approaches, a processual analysis framework and a “territorial” approach. We use this framework to analyze two French cases: a supermarkets chain’s own “quality food chain” for two PDO cheeses and a PDO on beef meat.