Woodman's Markets
| Type | Employee-owned |
|---|---|
| Founded | Janesville, Wisconsin (1918) |
| Headquarters | Janesville, Wisconsin |
| Number of locations | 14 |
| Key people | Phillip Woodman, President, CEO |
| Products | Grocery |
| Revenue | $2 Billion[1] |
| Employees | 2,200+[2] |
| Website | woodmans-food.com |
Woodman's Markets is an employee-owned supermarket chain in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, operating fourteen warehouse stores. Supermarket News has ranked Woodman's as No. 75 in the 2009 list "Top 75 North American Food Retailers", the received the same ranking in 2010. [3] [4] They have also been ranked as No. 4 in the 2010, 2011 & 2012 on list "Top 50 Small Chains & Independents", also by Supermarket News.[5] [6] [7]
Contents |
History [edit]
The company was founded as a small grocery in Janesville, Wisconsin, by Willard Woodman, a meat cutter. Willard's sons Willard P. Woodman and Dan Woodman expanded the business into a chain of supermarkets serving medium-sized cities in the area. Beginning with their third Janesville location, they employed a big box format, and now build their stores as anchors to small retail complexes. In the 1990s, the company was sold to its employees via a stock sharing plan; Phil Woodman remains President and CEO.[8]
Overview [edit]
Woodman's operates on a warehouse model, with stores in the 200-250,000 square foot range, in contrast to the 50-75,000 square foot size of typical grocery stores. Stores are built with a minimum level of amenities, usually with inexpensive materials. Older locations, constructed in the 1980s, have faux-stucco concrete exteriors and wood-paneled interiors. These stores are beginning to be renovated, although work proceeds very slowly because the company prefers not to take on debt.[citation needed]
Prices at Woodman's are lower than at many large grocery store chains because of their bulk purchasing model. Most items are stocked on the shelves by employees, but special bulk purchases and other items are sometimes shelved in their shipping cases or stacked in the aisles. Some items are regional brands not typically found in Wisconsin. Woodman's carries products from outside the U.S., with a notable selection of ethnic foods. The store's generic brand is Shurfine, which is one of the many brands of Skokie, Illinois-based private label manufacturer Topco Associates.
Woodman's liquor sections are quite large when compared to other chains. Beer selection includes national brands, regional craft brews, and imports; many other brands can be obtained by special request. At a new or newly renovated Woodman's, the liquor store is often as large as a typical small-town grocery.
Produce, because it is purchased in bulk from the lowest cost supplier available at any one time, varies greatly in quality and freshness from one time to another. A common practice is to place an entire pallet of merchandise on the sales floor, cut the tops off the boxes and allow the customer to handle the product. Other perishable items, such as meat and dairy products, can vary in quality, as well.
Woodman's allowed payment only by cash or check until 2004, when they began to accept debit cards. Woodman's does not accept payment by credit card as they will not pay processing fees or assess them on their customers. The company advertises relatively little, and attributes their lower prices to these practices.[citation needed] However, printed advertisements are sometimes circulated in some local markets.
Shopping carts are varied, with the newest stores having electric carts for those unable to navigate the large area of the store, oversized carts for those making large purchases, and carts that allow two children to be strapped in.
The company previously owned a stake in Roundy's, now a key regional competitor.
Other services [edit]
All Woodman's Markets have gas stations within close proximity to the main store. Most Woodman's gas stations also feature car washes & oil change centers. Some Woodman's stores have photo development centers; however, these are slowly being phased out. Woodman's stores also provide parcel pick-up.
Locations [edit]
Woodman's has fourteen locations:
- Illinois
- Wisconsin
- Appleton
- Beloit
- Green Bay
- Janesville
- Kenosha
- Madison, 2 Locations: Milwaukee St. (East Side) & Gammon Rd. (West Side)
- Menomonee Falls
- Oak Creek
- Onalaska
- Sun Prairie
- Waukesha, site acquired February 2012; opening Summer 2013.[9]
References [edit]
- ^ "Private Company Overview: Woodman's Food Market" (PDF). PCG. September 2005. Retrieved 2006-09-04.
- ^ "The Employee Ownership 100". The National Center for Employee Ownership. 2005. Retrieved 2006-09-04.
- ^ 2009 Top 75 North American Food Retailers', Supermarket News, Retrieved on 2009-08-11
- ^ 2010 Top 75 North American Food Retailers', Supermarket News, Retrieved on 2009-03-26
- ^ Supermarket News. "Top 50 Small Chains& Independents 2010".
- ^ Supermarket News. "Top 50 Small Chains & Independents 2011".
- ^ Supermarket News. "Top 50 Small Chains and Independents 2012".
- ^ "Woodman built food store chain". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. July 20, 2001. Retrieved 2006-09-05.
- ^ Sean Ryan (2012-02-26). "Woodman's buys Spancrete Waukesha facility for $11.9 million". Business Journal. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
