‘Waremart By WinCo’ Stores Under Way In Oregon

Last updated on October 28th, 2016 at 01:53 pm

WinCo Foods plans to open two smaller-format stores in Oregon in 2017, according to local newspaper reports.

The 40,000-s.f. format is called Waremart by WinCo—a name that harkens back to WinCo’s original name when it was founded in Boise, Idaho, in 1967. WinCo changed its name in 1999 to reflect the employee ownership aspect of the company, but retained the rights to the Waremart name. This, according to a press release from WinCo, will be a revival of that original banner.

Though much smaller than a typical WinCo, Waremart will offer similar types and selection of products as the larger stores, including bulk foods, meat and produce, the release said.

The Argus Observer in Ontario, Oregon, reported in July that a Waremart by WinCo is under construction in a former Kmart store on East Idaho Avenue that closed in 2015 as part of that company’s ongoing financial restructuring. The store is expected to open in early 2017.

In October, the Idaho Statesman reported that a Waremart by WinCo also would open in a former Haggen store in Keizer. WinCo already has closed on the purchase of the lot at 5450 River Road North, the paper noted.

“WinCo Foods has long been looking to open in the Keizer area,” a WinCo Foods spokesperson said in a press release obtained by the paper. “We’ve heard the voices of Keizer residents and are happy to bring a unique store to the Keizer market. Our employee-owners look forward to serving our customers in this new location. We also want to thank the people of Keizer, who have been so patient as we work through to complete the project.”

The lot in Keizer has changed hands often in recent years after Haggen tried unsuccessfully to establish a store there in 2015. The Northwest grocer scooped up a number of properties when the merger between Safeway and Albertsons forced the two to sell stores throughout the state, including the former Albertsons in Keizer. That Haggen location shuttered within months.

Employee-owned WinCo, which operates 110 stores in eight states, expects to hire 70-80 people for the Waremart locations.