Fred Meyer celebrates two decades in Warrenton

Published 5:00 pm Friday, July 31, 2009

This month, the Fred Meyer store in Warrenton celebrates its 20th year in operation.

Judging by the store’s ongoing success even during the current recession, the company has a lot to be happy about.

Last month, CRBJ interviewed two Fred Meyer Warrenton employees, Store Director Thomas Smelser and Apparel Manager Linda Mendenhall.

Mendenhall, who helped open the Warrenton Fred Meyer 20 years ago and has worked there ever since, said she remembers that the community was initially ambivalent about the new store.

She said when residents heard about the big retailer coming to town, there were essentially two opposing points of view.

“One thought was ‘what is it going to to do to the mom and pop stores,’ and on the other side it was ‘I don’t have to go to Portland,'” she said.

From the beginning, Fred Meyer offered more opportunity to shoppers partly because the store was open at 7:00 am and closed late. Two decades later, Fred Meyer is still a popular place to shop.

Mendenhall said one key to the store’s success was that staff made every effort to find out what locals wanted to buy and add it to the store’s inventory. Smelser agreed.

“Most Fred Meyer stores have a tiny bait refrigerator,” he said, noting that the Warrenton store’s bait cooler is huge by comparison, catering to the popularity of fishing locally. The store also carries clam guns and other fishing gear, not to mention the many, many fishing licenses issued there.

Since the recession hit last fall, Smelser said the store has continued to do well, but what customers are buying has shifted.

“People are buying fewer large screen TVs, but they’re buying more groceries,” he said, and surmised that shoppers are eating more at home instead of going out to dine.

“People are watching ads carefully,” Mendenhall added.

The biggest seller by far? Conventionally grown bananas – the store sells more of the fruit than any other item in its inventory.

Smelser said his observation has been that tourism in the area may even be up compared to last summer.

“People are still going to come to the beach, still going to Seaside camping,” he said.

The Warrenton Fred Meyer recently revamped and expanded its furniture department, in response to customer demand. Smelser said some customers are buying furnishings for their vacation homes in the area.

“We’re doing really well in furniture sales,” he said. “We had a lot in the stock room that wasn’t out on the floor.”

Another change: the store now has reorganized some of its departments to make it easier for customers to see what’s available for sale.

“The tool aisle, for instance,” Smelser said. “All the tools are now on one long aisle.”

The store also recently expanded its natural foods department, again in response to customer demand.

The Fred Meyer Warrenton store is a big contributor to local charities – over the past three years they’ve donated over $45,000 in equipment, scholarships and funding.

Smelser said the money comes from customers who donate spare change at registers, and from store employees who also make contributions. Funds are donated under the auspices of the Fred Meyer Fund, but the endeavor is a homegrown project meant to benefit area agencies and organizations.

“All the money stays local,” he said.

The contributions are separate from work done by the Meyer Memorial Trust, a philanthropic organization created by Fred G. Meyer, the founder of the Fred Meyer chain, which is now owned by The Kroger Co.

The Fred Meyer Warrenton store employs 240 people; about 20 have been with the store since it opened.

Smelser said he has not laid off any employees during the recession – in fact, he’s looking to hire more people.

He said the company’s approach, both as a retailer and community member, is centered on customers.

“It’s about listening to what people want,” he said.