Wilco Farm Store

Wilco Farm Store is a farmer-owned cooperative retail chain that serves rural and suburban communities across the Pacific Northwest. The stores focus on everyday needs for farm, ranch, and home, with merchandise that ranges from feed, fencing, and hardware to pet supplies, lawn and garden products, workwear, and outdoor lifestyle goods. Locations are typically large-format stores that function as regional draw, often in freestanding or power center settings, and are supported by Wilco’s agronomy and bulk fuel divisions that work directly with commercial farming operations.

Wilco is owned by Wilco Farmers Cooperative and traces its history to a group of local cooperatives in Oregon’s Willamette Valley that pooled their purchasing and distribution in the mid‑20th century. The formal Wilco organization was created in 1967, when several farmer co‑ops came together to form a joint supply cooperative that later evolved into today’s retail and agronomy business. A pivotal shift occurred in the early 2000s, when Wilco began consolidating legacy cooperative outlets into the Wilco Farm Store format and investing in larger destination stores with broader assortments. That strategy set the stage for a steady rollout of new locations across Oregon and Washington through the 2010s, followed by Wilco’s expansion into Northern California with stores in markets such as Petaluma and other North Bay and Central Valley communities.

As of October 2024, Wilco operates 25 farm stores in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. Store formats are company operated rather than franchised, which allows the cooperative to keep tight control over merchandising, service levels, and community engagement. The business reports more than 700 employee‑owners across its divisions, reflecting its combined farmer‑owned and employee ownership structure. While Wilco does not publicly disclose annual revenue, the size of its store base, vendor relationships, and regional advertising presence place it among the larger independent farm and ranch retailers in its footprint.

Over roughly the past five years, Wilco has shifted from being primarily an Oregon and Washington player to a multi‑state operator with a growing presence in Northern California. The chain has continued to refine its larger store model, adding broader pet, lifestyle, and home‑adjacent categories while maintaining a strong farm and ranch core. It has also invested in e‑commerce, loyalty programs, and in‑store services such as veterinary vaccination events, propane, and equipment rentals, which encourage repeat visits and deepen ties with both production agriculture and general consumers.

Recent growth activity shows a measured but active expansion posture. Newer stores and job postings tied to markets such as Redmond, Bend, and other regional hubs signal a focus on fast‑growing agricultural and rural‑suburban trade areas. These sites typically occupy sizable footprints with ample parking and outdoor yard space for bulk materials and equipment, often along major arterials and near complementary big‑box or grocery anchors. For landlords, developers, and brokers working in secondary and tertiary markets across Oregon, Washington, and Northern California, Wilco functions as a stable, needs‑based anchor that can backfill legacy big‑box buildings or serve as a primary draw in new projects, supported by a long operating history and cooperative ownership.