Warehouse store
 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2010) |
A warehouse store or warehouse supermarket is a food and grocery retailer that operates stores geared toward offering deeper discounted prices than a traditional supermarket. These stores offer a no-frills experience and warehouse shelving stocked well with merchandise intended to move at higher volumes. Unlike warehouse clubs, warehouse stores do not require a membership or membership fees. Warehouse stores also offer a selection of merchandise sold in bulk, Typically warehouse stores are laid out in a logical format which leads people a certain way around the store to the checkout. As one enters the store they are directed down an aisle of discounted special buys when entering the store. From there the layout typically then leads to the fresh Produce followed by the Deli at the back of the store. Also included bakery and other departments similar to other supermarkets. Another typical feature of these stores is that the customer bags their own groceries which also helps to reduce the overall cost. Many warehouse stores are operated by traditional grocery chains both as a way to attract lower income, value conscious consumers and to maximize their buying power in order to lower costs at their mainstream stores. Notable examples of corporations who operate warehouse stores include United States chains Kroger[1] and Albertsons LLC[2] and the smaller Sacramento-based Nugget Market.[3] However, WinCo Foods is an exception as it is a warehouse chain of its own and not part of a larger chain of traditional supermarkets like A&P, Safeway, Kroger, or Supervalu.
Examples in the United States and Canada
Traditional warehouse store chains include:
- Cub Foods, affiliated with SuperValu[4]
- Food 4 Less, affiliated with Kroger (and Nugget Markets in Northern California/Oregon)
- Food Basics (Canada), affiliated with Metro Inc.[5]
- Food Basics (United States), affiliated with A&P[6]
- Food Maxx, affiliated with Save Mart
- Foods Co., affiliated with Kroger
- Food Source, affiliated with Raley's Supermarkets
- Superior Grocers, an independently owned southern California chain
- Super 1 Foods, based in east Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana; owned by Brookshire Grocery Company
- Super 1 Foods, based in Idaho, Montana, and Washington, owned by Rosauers Supermarkets
- Super One Foods, a small chain based in Duluth MN
- Super Saver Foods, affiliated with Albertsons
- Warehouse Economy Outlet (WEO), affiliated with A&P, now defunct[7]
- Smart & Final (SFS), Owned by Ares Management, recently began trading publicly
- Warehouse Markets a small Tulsa OK based chain
- WinCo Foods (includes one Waremart store in Oregon)
Other types of warehouse store chains include:
- Aldi. Aldi Stores are smaller specialty stores that largely feature only their own in house private labels.
- Woodman's Markets. Focuses on carrying a much large variety of brands and product offerings than traditional supermarkets at lower prices.
See also
References
- ^ The Kroger Co. - Operations - Grocery retail. Retrieved on 31 March 2007.
- ^ Workers at Grocery Warehouse, Max Foods Reject Contract
- ^ Food 4 Less to take over Sam's Town property
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://corpo.metro.ca/profil-corpo/alimentaire/basics.en.html Food Basics
- ^ http://www.groceteria.com/store/national-chains/ap/ap-history/ A&P History
- ^ http://www.groceteria.com/store/national-chains/ap/ap-history/ A&P History