The Grocery Warehouse You Can Shop At Without A Membership
As much as we love warehouse grocery stores like Costco and Sam's Club, there's an understandable reluctance among shoppers to hop on that bandwagon due to their membership requirements — especially considering Costco's strict rules around sharing a membership card. Luckily for the grocery warehouse lovers out there who do not want to fork out over $60 a year just to shop, WinCo Foods is a warehouse chain that requires absolutely no membership at all. The Idaho-based grocery chain, which has 141 locations in total, takes pride in this fact, stating on its website, "at WinCo Foods everyone saves. No membership required, no special card needed. Just walk in and save money!"
WinCo, alongside Sam's Club and Costco, is ranked among the best grocery chains for shoppers on a budget, and, given its lack of a membership fee, there's an argument that those shopping at WinCo save more than anyone else. By combining the quality and size of warehouse clubs with the ease of shopping at regular stores, WinCo Foods has carved a niche for itself in this very competitive market.
Where are WinCo Food's stores located?
Depending on where you live, you might be shocked that you are only just learning about the existence of such an opportune, employee-owned grocery warehouse. If that is the case, it is time for me to hit you with some unfortunate news: WinCo stores are predominantly found in the western United States. Stores in and around Dallas, Texas, are the easternmost stores currently operating. And, unlike the countless fast food chains that have ramped up expansion in recent years, WinCo currently has no plans of moving eastward; the chain is instead set to open up a new location in Washington, a state that the company already has a foothold in.
Unfortunately, this means that WinCo Food's glorious combination of membership-free, bulk-centric shopping is not available to people living in the Midwest, on the East Coast, or in the majority of the South. Despite there being clear demand for WinCo's model, it doesn't look like people in these areas will be gaining access to a WinCo location anytime soon.