WinCo plans smaller format store in Oregon

Boise, Idaho-based WinCo foods announced it would construct a smaller format store — to be called Waremart by WinCo — on a recently purchased site in Keizer, Ore.

The new store, slated for opening in the first half of 2017, will measure 40,000 square feet. The retailer in a release said the smaller size is “specifically designed for markets like Keizer.” Most WinCo stores are 72,000 to 90,000 square feet, a corporate spokesperson told SN.

“We’ve heard the town of Keizer has been very vocal in their desire to have a WinCo in the area, and we’ve definitely heard that. And our research has shown for years that Keizer could support a smaller store. And we’ve just been waiting for the right opportunity,” the spokesperson said.

The Waremart moniker is a throwback to the company’s original name, which was changed to WinCo in 1999. WinCo operates a smaller format Waremart in Independence, Ore., and has another under construction in Ontario, Ore., the spokesperson said.

When asked if WinCo had any other Waremart stores planned, the spokesperson said, “We’d certainly consider if for the right opportunity.”

The retailer said the Keizer store would include typical WinCo offerings such as the “Wall of Values,” full produce, meat and bulk foods departments, and a large selection of grocery products.

“It’ll be a very similar selection. It won’t be quite as wide just given the size of the store but it will be very similar. And the main similarity is with the employee owners, the customer service and the focus on the overall value of the store. So it reflects 100% the ethos of the company,” the spokesperson said.

Like other smaller stores the retailer operates, the Keizer store will not have a full-service bakery, the spokesperson said.

The Keizer location is the site of a former Haggen store.