I agree. OKC has long been very underserved in terms of good grocery options. Anything that enters the market that gives OKCitians an alternative to the Wal-Mart or Homeland dichotomy should do very well.

Agreed. Although WinCo is no Costco or a name that people melt over, I'm quite excited for them to enter the market and I plan on shopping there more than occasionally.

Costco is great -- I was just there yesterday and am a big fan -- but you can't use it as your primary grocery store.

I buy meat (chicken breasts and ground turkey) and freeze it, bulk salad, bread and sometimes rice and pasta. Beyond that, the items are packaged in such great quantity they just don't make sense for most people. Or more specifically, it encourages people to buy in unhealthy amounts.

Costco also only carries a limited amount of items, so, trips to the regular grocery store are still needed.

With WinCo, you can do it all in one place and still get great prices and service -- and completely avoid Walmart / Sam's.

They have a rabid and loyal following and I expect them to do banner business in OKC.

I was just using Costco as a name, not necessarily a primary grocery store option / comparison to WinCo. But, I'm glad to hear that WinCo can be used as a primary store.

Everyone in my family that I've told about this are pretty excited for it as well. I expect them to do really, really well here.

I just came back from a big WinCo shopping trip and I took a bunch of photos -- I'll do a detailed write-up soon.

I was very impressed. Very wide aisles (makes a huge difference), bright, clean and great service. Prices were very good.


More later.

Sprouts is proposed for SW 104th and S. Pennsylvania and the Natural Grocers is at SW 89th and S. Pennsylvania

Will the Sprouts go in where the old mansion is now? When are they supposed to start construction?

Yes, that is the proposed site.

(See article at top of page for a full description of OKC's WinCo locations.)


Since OKC is about to get four WinCo's, I went and spent a fair amount of time at the location closest to me here in Southern California, which is about 25 miles away from my home.

WinCo stores average 90,000 square feet which is more than double the size of a large store like the newer Crests but not as big as a Costco or Sam's Club which are typically close to 140,000 SF. The big difference is that WinCo is a pure grocery store – they don't even have a pharmacy.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/winco13.jpg

There are no membership fees but they only take cash, checks or debit cards – absolutely no credit cards. They are open 24 hours, 7 days a week.

I had been expecting something similar to the old Buy 4 Less concept, with industrial shelves and most items stacked in their shipping cartons. But WinCo is infinitely more pleasant in every way.

When you enter, you see “Employee Owned” signs everywhere, which is an obvious point of differentiation from Walmart. (BTW, WinCo loves to put their stores very close to Walmart as they believe their prices and customer service are superior).

Similar to Buy 4 Less, you must enter down a gauntlet of specially priced items, but right away you notice the store is very bright and clean and with almost ridiculously wide aisles.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/winco14.jpg

Next department is produce and it all looked very fresh and the prices were excellent. You also notice that there is very little sold in bundled bulk packaging. You can buy just like a regular grocery store, from one tomato to a small spice container. They also have tons of big bulk bins for nuts, candy, cereal, coffee and other staples.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/winco3.jpg

This place is HUGE and it was a bit overwhelming at first. However, I had a list of about 20 items and had no more trouble finding them than I would in regular grocer and it was far easier than Costco. It didn't feel like a warehouse store in terms of difficulty in navigating.

The aisles are crazy wide AND they don't stack things in them! I can't tell you how much difference that makes, as even with their over-sized carts I didn't once get blocked by the usual park-my-cart-and-just-stand-there crowd. This is a big deal to me because I'm a ninja shopper, where I usually want to get in, get the items on my list and get out of there. It also makes the store look extremely neat and organized.


And it is VERY clean and organized. Another thing I noticed immediately: The employees working the floor (stocking and the like) actually paid attention to the customers and voluntarily asked if help was needed. You can see that customer service is a priority and this is another pet peeve of mine in grocery stores... The check out lady asking you glibly “Did you find everything okay?” Where were you or anyone else half an hour ago when I was aimlessly searching for that stupid corn syrup?? All the people working the floor at a regular grocer and even Costco have their heads down with full “don't talk to me, I'm stocking” body language. If you can find them at all.

Also, this is almost purely a food store; I only saw one aisle of liquor / wine (which will deleted for the Oklahoma locations), a couple of aisles for household items and as mentioned, there isn't even a pharmacy. They do have some over-the-counter items but again, it's small compared to the overall size of the store. Or I should say, they are about the size you would expect in a traditional grocery store.

In addition to vastly scaled-up meat, deli and bakery areas, they also had a lot of prepared foods in their deli area. Again, most were not monster-sized and I had to use my will to resist quite a few items that looked pretty darn tasty.


Although the whole store is massive and a bit intimidating, I came away thinking I could break it down pretty easily in future visits.

When it comes time to checkout, they have a big self-check area. I elected to go through the standard line and encountered something that always bugs me: You can't swipe your debit card until they have completely finished scanning every item. It's a time waster, especially on busy days.


http://thecouponproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/checkout.jpg

You do have to bag your own groceries but that doesn't bother me in the least. They have this two-chute system where they alternate back and forth so two people can be bagging on the same lane at the same time. Still, on busy days this could be a bottleneck as people tend to buy lots of items at a place like this.


http://timebusinessblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/ap101133471983.jpg?w=480&h=320&crop=1

Overall, I was very impressed. The store just felt pleasant, nicer and brighter than a Costco (which I happen to love). It's hard to compare prices but I shop enough to have some perspective and they were definitely low. I noticed very few items “on sale”; rather everything was just marked at everyday low prices. They do have some privately branded items but not as many as Costco and I noticed that they weren't significantly lower than mainstream brands.

I know WinCo runs specials and coupons but that seems to be a relatively small part of their low-price strategy.


Prediction: WinCo will absolutely kill it in Oklahoma City. They are more pleasant than everything but the most upscale markets in town, prices are equal to or better than Walmart or Sam's, customer service is vastly superior and they don't stack tons of junky crap in every single aisle.

If one was closer to me, I'd do every bit of my shopping there and I'm pretty picky about my grocery stores.

Open 24 hours will be huge! Where will store number 4 be? Are they going to start construction on all four at the same time or are they waiting for the first 3 to decide on #4?

Thank you for the review, Pete!

Open 24 hours will be huge! Where will store number 4 be? Are they going to start construction on all four at the same time or are they waiting for the first 3 to decide on #4?

#4 will be on the southside or in Moore.

Should open all four about the same time.

Pete, Thanks for taking your time to go get the pictures and your thoughts. Looks nice.

Pete. do they have a staffed full service meat department that can do specialty things for you or is it just all prepackaged?

Pete. do they have a staffed full service meat department that can do specialty things for you or is it just all prepackaged?

Fully staffed.

We have pinned down the fourth WinCo and as expected, it's in Moore:


http://www.okctalk.com/attachments/retail-services/8139d1402593995-winco-wincomoore.jpg

We have pinned down the fourth WinCo and as expected, it's in Moore:



Glad I never have to use that intersection, I think it might implode after this goes in.

Wow, that detail about them going head-to-head with Walmart isn't a joke.

Yeah.. It seems they are preparing for all out war with Walmart

Ugh 19th street!!!! I love that there's so much going on, but damn Moore didn't do anything right with traffic/street planning between 35 and west of Telephone....LORD!!!!!

I'd like to know how they plan on connecting WinCo if that's the lot too. I hope they just convert the back "street" thing behind Five Guys into a real connector road and force traffic to Fritts Rd. At least there's a light there. And the more distance you put between ANYTHING and Telephone Rd, the better.

And weird side note - if you look at the google maps of the area, apparently they were taken in summer 2013....lots of storm damage in the area on those images.

Hey Pete, I know you like keeping your maps straight. That's a LA Fitness that WinCo will be going beside, not Fitness One.

Hey Pete, I know you like keeping your maps straight. That's a LA Fitness that WinCo will be going beside, not Fitness One.

Thanks! I made the correction

Going right at the new Sam's and existing Supercenter there..... I'm glad we're getting one in Moore..... Going to be kind of ashamed to pull up to buy groceries when I haven't used my gym membership since last year..... Not that I haven't been getting some exercise. Just been enjoying the weather and doing it at the park.

I wondered if something would go in next to LA Fitness, but honestly this is disappointing. The backside of that strip center sucks. The lot there has skinny drives to the back lots and several times I've seen cars playing chicken when going opposite ways. It's a huge cluster you know what IMO, and unless there is some major improvement, is only going to get way worse. I've actually started going down 19th street less when I'm in the area because it is just a hot mess.

I will be very interested to see how much marketshare they steal from Wal-Mart. If they really do have better prices and better customer service, I don't understand why anybody would stick with Wal-Mart.

39th and I44 will be great for us. Any idea on a opening date?

If it goes in behind Aldi, which is sort of a crapp location since you can't see it basically at all, I hope they convert the alley behind Five Guys/Aldi/etc into a real path like Zuplar said. Here's some cheap 5 minute MS Paint work on what it could look like. Green paths for the routes to take to get to the place, and red marking areas where I would purposely NOT connect the road so traffic is forced to the light.

8145

If it goes in behind Aldi, which is sort of a crapp location since you can't see it basically at all, I hope they convert the alley behind Five Guys/Aldi/etc into a real path like Zuplar said. Here's some cheap 5 minute MS Paint work on what it could look like. Green paths for the routes to take to get to the place, and red marking areas where I would purposely NOT connect the road so traffic is forced to the light.

8145

Glad someone is on the same page. If done right they could really improve the traffic flow which is honestly the only issue with this area. The selection and diversity of stores is pretty fantastic compared to what it used to be, and just gets better. I just think Moore has got to be proactive with traffic here. Of course if they ever get a bridge built further South (on SW34th?) then that should help.

I have no idea how they would do it based on how they built, but it would be nice to see a cross street about where Kohl's is to pull some of the cross traffic off, like Zuplar was saying.

I'd pull out the light at Walmart onto 19th and close that entrance/exit for Walmart and force the traffic coming from the other way, to a different access back to Telephone Road. Tossing that light right there, at least IMO, would do wonders.

Maybe I just have a high tolerance, but I never seem to have any problems on 19th St. Yeah, its a busy area, but I'm never stuck in gridlock or something. I actually just recently moved to a house off of 19th St. and was worried how much time it would add to my commute to get to the highway, but it really didn't add as much as discussions like this led me to believe.

Isn't the larger lot to the West of L.A. Fitness where Costco was rumored to be trying to go into?

Winco has been a part of the North West for years and I do all my grocery shopping there.

They have the best prices in the Portland area and the quality is good. You have to bag your own groceries( unlike my days working at Kennards Discount Foods, 50th and MacArthur in the 70's! ) and they have just now gotten self-serve check out stands. That has helped the wait to check out, especially if you have just a few items.

The only area they seem to be lacking in is their bakery is not as nice or extensive as, say, Safeway. No pharmacy either, which is not an issue for me.

I used to shop at the Tigard WinCo all the time; best place to buy groceries! It was cheap and they had a great selection. Hopefully they're successful in OKC.

When is construction suppose to start on these four Winco's?

They haven't even announced they are coming yet.

I believe they are trying to get everything nailed down on all four locations first.

Pete, I received this email after I asked them about an OKC store


Campbell,

Thank you so much for this wonderful location suggestion, Oklahoma City is a beautiful area. While we haven’t looked that far yet, we will gladly forward this to our team for consideration. We hope to some day have the honor of opening one of our employee-owned stores closer to you. Thank you for your amazing support.


Cathy D.
Email support
Twitter alerts on jobs www.twitter.com/WinCoJobs
Careers, Jobs and Online Applications | WinCo Foods (http://www.wincofoods.com/about/careers) Set up an "Agent" for email alerts on job postings


Just wanted to pass that along.

Pete, I received this email after I asked them about an OKC store



Just wanted to pass that along.

That is probably their canned response. I doubt they would announce something through email to a regular joe that hasn't been officially announced yet.

Deals are done and they will be announcing soon.

Deals are done and they will be announcing soon.Awesome!!!!!

You heard it first on OKCTalk.

Idaho grocery chain may bring multiple stores to Oklahoma City metro area | News OK (http://newsok.com/idaho-grocery-chain-may-bring-multiple-stores-to-oklahoma-city-metro-area/article/5142352)

They've had the four deals pretty much nailed down for a while, just taking their time.

In the NewsOK article Jim Parrack is quoted as saying "They will give Walmart a run for their money on prices." The reality is that Wal-Mart is large enough to survive the competition. The real concern is Crest Foods. I imagine that WinCo will put a real hurtin' on the Harroz family. :fighting2

Doubt it. Now, I haven't been in a Winco yet, but from everything I've heard about them, part of the reason they can afford the prices they do, is because of the amount of bulk items and the trimmed staffing for things like sackers. Again, I haven't been there yet, but it SOUNDS like a mix between an Aldi and a Sams Jr. with a little Crest thrown in there. They'll beat Aldi if they are open 24 hours. But the sacker thing will keep people from leaving Crest. The amount of food that goes through a Crest cashier is insane compared to WalMart....Crest is just faster. Even with overflowing baskets, you can be 2 carts behind the cashier at Crest and still get through the line in less than 10 minutes. Can't say the same at WalMart. But if you start making people sack their own stuff, that line is going to be a LOT slower. Crest is the "pile it a mile high in the cart" trip.

Maybe i'll have a different opinion after it's opened, but it just doesn't sound like something to me that will kill Crest. If I were Homeland, I'd be worried. I don't think I remember seeing a WinCo location near a Homeland though.

Maybe Winco should take the old Homeland location that is closing on NW Expressway! Probably not big enough though..
I see Winco really hurting Homeland. Homeland has been pretty set in their ways for a while, and this grocery boom in OKC will definitely affect them.

have never been to a Winco but I don't see me leaving Crest any time soon. as for Wal-mart I haven't been in a wal-mart super center or a Neighborhood market in many years and don't ever see me giving them my money. I do like the concept of Winco however far better than that of Wal-mart.

Maybe Winco should take the old Homeland location that is closing on NW Expressway! Probably not big enough though..
I see Winco really hurting Homeland. Homeland has been pretty set in their ways for a while, and this grocery boom in OKC will definitely affect them.

I agree. If Homeland can't refresh their entire brand, they need to pick a few stores and focus on making them destinations and then close the rest of them. Every one of these new grocers entering the market I see hurting Homeland most of all.

I can see myself doing WinCo as long as I can get in and out quickly. One of the things I like about Crest is they are always appropriately-staffed.

ya, I love Winco. I just started going there here in the Seattle area. I place them between Sam's Club and Safeway; more bulk than SW but more individual than Sam's.

It is true about the sackers or lack thereof - to me that is the only downside as lines do tend to back up with slow customer sacking.

I think it is interesting that another Boise ID based supermarket chain is coming to OKC. I'm certain Winco will do much better, however, than Albertson's.

have never been to a Winco but I don't see me leaving Crest any time soon. as for Wal-mart I haven't been in a wal-mart super center or a Neighborhood market in many years and don't ever see me giving them my money. I do like the concept of Winco however far better than that of Wal-mart.

I also like Crest, but the terrible smell of the meat department is a turn-off.

The 2nd location mentioned was 39th & May, but, according to another board, a building permit for Sam's Club was filed for that same NW corner....is WinCo down to 2 stores in the metro now?

The Sam's Club is locating east of the Hefner Parkway where Lynn Hickey Dodge was formerly located. The WinCo, as I understand, would be west of the Hefner Parkway, where the 39th street motel formerly stood that was east of the former Pratt's Grocery Store (where a Locke Supply store now stands).

Aldi's doesn't accept credit cards except for Discover Card which does allow a surcharge (Aldi's charges 50¢ for Discover Card users). Aldi's also accepts all bank issued debit cards with no surcharge. Mastercard & Visa & American Express retailers must agree to no surcharge if they want to accept these cards (as credit cards).

I enjoyed shopping at WinCo on my many visits to Fresno.

I will look forward to shopping both new stores (Sam's & WinCo) since I live in the Mayfair West division on NW 41st Street just behind the old Lynn Hickey Dodge dealership (I will just have to get a new Sam's Card.)

WinCo will be successful in any location since it is a destination store - a magnet store for regional shoppers.

If they open in Moore and/or Norman, they are still overlooking South OKC.

If they open in Moore and/or Norman, they are still overlooking South OKC.

I agree. If they wanted to open a fifth location, somewhere near Western and SW 44th by Target and Sears might work. Or somewhere along I-240.

Anyone heard anything lately?

The MWC site still shows that it's owned by HMA (and really that means CHS now). So there hasn't been any progress on obtaining the space...it's just continuing to sit and rot.

There was a recent application to split the lot at the presumed location at 39th & Lake Hefner Parkway.

It appears they are trying to get all the ducks in a row for all their locations before making an announcement.

OKC is going to love WinCo.

They are working on a drainage ditch right next to Aldi on Penn and Memorial. Could this be in preparation for the rumored Winco?

They are working on a drainage ditch right next to Aldi on Penn and Memorial. Could this be in preparation for the rumored Winco?

Probably.

There was also a recent plot split at this property and the application was submitted by an architect who has built a lot of grocery stores.

It seems the Penn & 39th locations are the two that need the prep work; the MWC and Moore sites, not so much.

Winco has completed the purchase of the MWC city property and will tear down the old Target store to build new.

Idaho-based grocer plans Midwest City store | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/idaho-based-grocer-plans-midwest-city-store/article/5361986)

I was at the Aldi on N. Penn tonight. I noticed several stacks of some building material (couldn't tell what it was) and some heavy equipment on the WinCo site just south of Aldi. Looked like site prep work was about to begin.

I was at the Aldi on N. Penn tonight. I noticed several stacks of some building material (couldn't tell what it was) and some heavy equipment on the WinCo site just south of Aldi. Looked like site prep work was about to begin.

That could be but it seems strange if nothing has even been announced about property purchase by them in that area.

Awesome!

Awesome!

I noticed yesterday while driving the backroads into my old neighborhood while passing the area where the trailer park use to be I noticed now has some fencing and machinery. I don't know if its for another project or Winco. but its in the location on the map that winco is suppose to be going in at In Moore

You guys must have missed this at the top of our News page:

OKCTalk - WinCo Foods closes on Midwest City property; to open 4 OKC locations (http://www.okctalk.com/content/63-winco-foods-closes-midwest-city-property-open-4-okc-locations.html)

You guys must have missed this at the top of our News page:

OKCTalk - WinCo Foods closes on Midwest City property; to open 4 OKC locations (http://www.okctalk.com/content/63-winco-foods-closes-midwest-city-property-open-4-okc-locations.html)

No, I didn't see that. Maybe when you post some information like that on the news page it would be helpful to update the appropriate thread at the same time.