What Makes Woodman’s Different? 4 Facts You Might Not Know
Woodman’s Food Market may feel like it’s always been part of the Midwest grocery landscape, but its rise from a small produce stand to a $2 billion grocery brand is a uniquely regional story. According to Up North News, the company’s roots go back more than a century, and along the way, Woodman’s quietly set several grocery-industry milestones.
Founded in Janesville, Wisconsin, Woodman’s has grown into a go-to destination for bulk buys, massive selection, and famously long aisles. And yes, that includes the Woodman’s location right here in Rockford, which many local shoppers already treat like a second home.
When Woodman’s Built the “Largest Grocery Store in the Universe”
According to Up North News, when Woodman’s opened its Kenosha location in 1997, it wasn’t just big… it was billed as the largest grocery store in the universe. At roughly 252,000 square feet, it was nearly three times larger than the company’s first Madison superstore, instantly setting a new scale for grocery shopping.
Woodman’s Was a Wisconsin Technology Pioneer
Long before self-checkout lanes and mobile apps, Woodman’s was ahead of the curve. In 1975, the company became the first grocery store in Wisconsin to use UPC barcode technology, a system that now underpins virtually every retail transaction in America.
LOOK! Steve Shannon’s Open Letter to Rockford Woodman’s Food Market Employees
Yes, Woodman’s Uses Robots
In 2018, Woodman’s began testing in-store robots designed to detect out-of-stock items and pricing errors. During the COVID era, those robots were rolled out to 18 stores across Wisconsin and Illinois.
The Average Store Is Bigger Than You Think
The final fun fact, also noted by Up North News: the average Woodman’s store features 24 aisles, each 96 feet long, and carries around 100,000 different products, a number that explains both the selection and the marathon-style shopping trips.
READ MORE: How Many Woodman’s Locations Are There in Illinois?
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