Overview
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.
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. 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.
Read more about this topic: Woodman's Food Market