Mutual fund shares are available through online brokers and “fund supermarkets” which offer the funds of many different companies. Schwab's OneSource and Fidelity's No Transaction Fee Program are examples of fund supermarkets. These companies sell shares directly to you without a sales charge or transaction fee. They are reimbursed by the fund company for their services.

Supermarkets may also sell other funds that carry transaction fees, sales charges or "loads". In some cases, administrative costs and the minimum initial and subsequent purchase amounts may be higher through supermarkets than if purchasing funds directly.

Purchasing from a supermarket allows an investor to consolidate paperwork even if they own funds from several different fund companies. Selling and purchasing funds can often be accomplished with one phone call or one visit to the supermarket’s web site. 

This method of purchasing mutual funds may work well for those investors who have the time to do their own research and want to conveniently purchase funds from several different fund companies in order to meet their investment goals.