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WinCo interior changes

Posted: September 20th, 2019, 7:14 am
by Super S
I have noticed (in pictures only so far) that WinCo has made some changes to the interior of their stores. Most obvious are a switch in the wall department letters and hanging signs to a different font and are more basic (cheap) looking (it looks like they are no longer using the old Cub interiors on their new stores) a switch to bare polished concrete floors instead of the white painted concrete they previously had, and a switch in new stores from rows of lighting fixtures with reflectors hanging from the ceiling to new, smaller LED fixtures mounted much higher on the ceiling (a notable exception is the Ontario, Oregon store which has retained the Kmart fixtures) Some WinCo locations have kept the existing rows of lights with LED conversions.

I have noticed that the new font has appeared above the pizza department at the WinCo in Longview, but the rest of the interior is unchanged.

Has WinCo remodeled any of the interiors of their older stores to more closely resemble their newest stores? Also, in the newest locations built by WinCo (as in a new building, not an existing building they moved into) are there any notable changes to the store layouts? The general layout really has not changed a whole lot.

We had a discussion of this very subject on Groceteria some time ago, and it appeared that WinCo simply maintained their interiors with periodic repainting and cleaning at that time. But I can see a need to be more flexible when moving into existing buildings.

Re: WinCo interior changes

Posted: September 20th, 2019, 7:58 pm
by storewanderer
WinCo did a new interior layout in the Las Vegas Stores and I think all of the new builds since then have been in that layout. There are 3 sets of aisles instead of 2 sets of aisles. The stores are much more industrial looking than before and less polished looking.

The one store in Reno with Pizza got the modern department signage as well but is still the Cub interior other than that.

I think the general department placement has stayed the same despite some center store layout changes (produce, bakery, deli, etc.).

Re: WinCo interior changes

Posted: September 20th, 2019, 10:43 pm
by babs
The Cedar Hills Crossing store in Beaverton, Oregon was remodeled about 2 years to the new look. The perimeter of the store stayed pretty much the same but the center store was completely rearranged.

Re: WinCo interior changes

Posted: September 21st, 2019, 9:14 am
by storewanderer
babs wrote: September 20th, 2019, 10:43 pm The Cedar Hills Crossing store in Beaverton, Oregon was remodeled about 2 years to the new look. The perimeter of the store stayed pretty much the same but the center store was completely rearranged.
WinCo did a major expansion to its North Reno Store maybe 8 years ago (expanded into the neighboring Office Max) and the expansion space got produce moved into it, aisle lengths expanded and widened, and bulk foods significantly expanded. The rest of the store stayed the same in layout and department sizes did not change except for produce and bulk foods. Meat, deli, stayed where they were. This is an extremely high volume store. The initial store was too small for the customer traffic it had. 80,000 square feet was too small.

WinCo had pizza in this store from the time it opened in the mid 90's. For years in the WinCo shopping center, there was a corporate owned Round Table Pizza. At some point Round Table went out of business. At around the same time as they expanded, a Little Caesar's opened across the street. Not long after that, WinCo closed the pizza department in this store and turned it into either expanded slot machine space or a storage room.

Re: WinCo interior changes

Posted: September 21st, 2019, 9:47 am
by Super S
I haven't stopped in any of the WinCo stores in the Portland area in quite some time. I have yet to step foot into one of the stores with the newer look, but am curious how they plan to roll this out across the chain.
storewanderer wrote: September 21st, 2019, 9:14 am

WinCo did a major expansion to its North Reno Store maybe 8 years ago (expanded into the neighboring Office Max) and the expansion space got produce moved into it, aisle lengths expanded and widened, and bulk foods significantly expanded. The rest of the store stayed the same in layout and department sizes did not change except for produce and bulk foods. Meat, deli, stayed where they were. This is an extremely high volume store. The initial store was too small for the customer traffic it had. 80,000 square feet was too small.

WinCo had pizza in this store from the time it opened in the mid 90's. For years in the WinCo shopping center, there was a corporate owned Round Table Pizza. At some point Round Table went out of business. At around the same time as they expanded, a Little Caesar's opened across the street. Not long after that, WinCo closed the pizza department in this store and turned it into either expanded slot machine space or a storage room.
In Longview, WA, Winco still has pizza, there is a Little Caesars in the same shopping center at the other end. Also in close proximity are Pizza Hut, and local operations Bruno's and Vernie's (which have excellent pizza) Winco somehow holds its own though. I have nothing against their pizza, which I have bought from time to time, but it doesn't really stand out to me.