Portland, Oregon-based New Seasons Market plans to open its first Puget Sound-area store in fall 2016. The new Washington store, at Albertsons Town Center on Mercer Island, will feature the grocer’s signature fresh, local produce, organic artisan breads, sustainably sourced meats and seafood, deli selections and chef-prepared specialties alongside everyday classic brands. New Seasons will remodel the building at 2755 77th Avenue SE.
New Seasons was founded in 2000 and has 15 stores in the Portland-Vancouver metro area and a recently opened a store in California’s Bay Area.
“As a progressive employer, New Seasons is dedicated to taking care of our customers and our staff. Environmental stewardship and sustainability are also at the heart of our mission. I believe our values and sense of community very much align with those of the Mercer Island residents and that’s why we chose to open our very first Seattle store here,” said President and CEO Wendy Collie, who spent nearly two decades in the Puget Sound area, including a year on Mercer Island, as an executive at Starbucks while raising two boys. “We look forward to making our Mercer Island store a welcoming, neighborhood gathering spot where people connect over delicious, quality food, get to know our wonderful staff and build community together.”
New Seasons says it is dedicated to sharing how food is grown, raised and made so shoppers are able to make informed choices for themselves and their families.
New Seasons says it is known for its strong relationships with regional growers and producers, and for offering thousands of regional products. More than one-third of its store items are sourced from Oregon, Washington and Northern California. Partnerships with Washington producers include those with Conan’s Hot Sauces and Marinades, Inaba Produce Farms, Kelsey Family Farm, Linda Brand Crab, Loki Fish Co., Lummi Island Wild, Mama Nano’s, Murex Cuisine, My Local Honey, OlyKraut, Pure Country Pork, Starvation Alley Farm, Sugar & Salt Bakery, Sunnyslope Farm and Torque Coffee. As part of its mission to grow the regional food shed, the New Seasons team says it looks forward to partnering with more Washington vendors.
New Seasons will hire locally to fill the majority of the store’s approximately 150 positions, from floor staff and department managers to cooks, cashiers and wellness experts.
“We’ll be looking to partner with Mercer Island organizations working to end hunger, educate youth and protect the environment,” said Collie. “We look forward to learning more about Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, its food pantry program and other deserving nonprofits.”
