As WinCo expands its no-frills grocery chain in metro Phoenix and the West, the Idaho-based company has battled opposition from community groups from Surprise to California.
Loyal shoppers praise WinCo for low prices and ethical employee treatment. But opponents have attempted to block proposed stores, citing a number of concerns from bad zoning to low wages. The objections mean little for a company whose growth one supermarket industry analyst has called “unstoppable.”
WinCo, founded in 1967 in Boise, Idaho, is known for its no-frills approach. The grocer has customers bag their own orders and doesn’t accept credit cards because of the associated fees.
