Boise, Idaho-based WinCo Foods will open three new discount supermarkets at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 1.
Two of the stores mark the first entry for WinCo Foods into the Arizona market with locations at 330 W. Bell Rd. in Phoenix and 5850 W. Bell Rd. in Glendale. Each Arizona store is more than 90,000 s.f. and will employ approximately 200 individuals, nearly all of whom have been hired locally.
The third new store, located at 4969 Kitsap Way in Bremerton, Wash., is a smaller format of approximately 55,000 s.f. It will employ nearly 200 individuals—most hired from the community.
WinCo Foods is an employee owned company and is known as the supermarket low-price leader in each of the markets where it operates, the company says. Store managers Josh Harris (Phoenix) Stan Wille (Glendale) and Mike Dutton (Bremerton) are company veterans and excited to open their new stores in each community. Harris is a 16-year employee and transfers to Phoenix from Midvale, Utah, where he was store manager. Wille has worked for WinCo for nearly 23 years and transfers to Glendale from Fontana, Calif., where he was store manager. Dutton has been with WinCo Foods for more than 21 years and transfers to Bremerton from Vancouver, Wash.
Each of the managers was enthusiastic about the number of qualified individuals who applied for jobs at their stores. They each feel confident that their stores will open with a workforce of excited and motivated employees who are anxious to meet and begin serving their customers. Harris and Wille also are excited about bringing the WinCo Foods concept to the state of Arizona for the first time.
As customers enter each store they’ll see a large “Wall of Values,” which displays special low pricing on a variety of popular items. On the main floor of the store, customers will find the seafood and meat, deli and bakery departments (because of the smaller facility in Bremerton, the store will not have a bakery but it will carry a selection of baked goods), a large fresh produce department and a large and unique bulk foods department. The bulk foods section displays more than 600 items, including many natural food products, some organics, snacks, candies and more.
“We look forward to having our new customers come in and see what makes WinCo Foods unique as we work to offer good value and to save them money on their grocery purchases,” said company spokesperson Michael Read. “We hope it will mark the beginning of a long term relationship.”
Founded in 1967, WinCo Foods is a regional discount supermarket company employing approximately 14,000 individuals and operating 85 stores and four distribution centers in the states of Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, Utah and Arizona.
