Over $17,000 Raised This Holiday Season

The Markets have raised over $17,000 in this year's holiday food bank campaign, Food For All.

The following food-based charities received donations from The Markets this month:

• Senior Meals on Wheels
• Helping Hands Food Bank
• Oso Food Bank
• Arlington Food Bank
• Anacortes 100 Food Bank
• Nooksack Valley Food Bank
• Bellingham Food Bank
• Salt of the Earth Food Bank
• Lighthouse Mission
• Blue Skies for Children
• Ferndale Food Bank
• Southside Food Bank
• Blaine Food Bank
• Selah Civic Center Food Bank
• Wapato Food Bank
• Serve Wenatchee Valley
• Moses Lake Food Bank
• Children's Home Society
• Prosser Senior Center

The Markets also offer an ongoing donation bag program for local food banks and animal shelters.  The program, called Helpful Harvest and Helping Paws, features prepacked bags of nonperishable items purchased and then donated to the organizations listed below:

• Humane Society at Happy Paws Farm
• Whatcom Humane Society
• Skagit Humane Society
• Everett Humane Society
• Wenatchee Valley Humane Society
• Central Washington Humane Society
• Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society
• Prosser Animal Shelter

Since this program began in October 2008, over 1,400 bags have been donated for food banks, 247 for cats in shelters and 287 for dogs in shelters.  Thanks to our generous customers and their concern for their fellow two- and four-legged friends and neighbors.

The new Market At Birch Bay is going through the permit process.  With final permits on the horizon, the store will complete its remodel, with a planned grand opening for April. 

The 25,000 square foot store, the largest occupant at Birch Bay Square (corner of I-5 and Birch Bay-Lynden Road) in Whatcom County, has taken a little longer than planned.  The building was originally designed for several smaller stores, so combining it into one servicable space for a new supermarket has required more design work.  Residents of Birch Bay have been looking forward to a grocery store in their neighborhood for several years.  The new Market will have many exciting features, many of which are unique to this area.

Watch this space for more information and details about the new Market.

A Store Like No Other 

Following several months of renovation and renewal,The Market at Anacortes (formerly Food Pavilion) has emerged as a store like no other, with a bigger selection of food that way we like it: fresh, local, natural, delicious, topped with the kind of value customers will find only at our store.

As customers enter The Market, they encounter the area’s largest Produce Department, certified organic by the state Department of Agriculture. The colorful market-style displays are impressive, and emphasize seasonal and local fruits and vegetables. Two unique features are the Awesome Pineapple, picked ripe and guaranteed fresh, and the Herb Garden, where customers can mix and match fresh herbs in the quantities required.

Meals can be fun again with the best-tasting choices in the Meat Department. Beef and pork is Certified Tender, and cut daily by our expert team. In northwest Washington, Misty Isle Farms Natural Beef is exclusive to The Market. Several enticing new fresh entrees, such as Fantastic Stuffed Hamburger Patties, help answer that age-old question- what’s for dinner- with mouthwatering choices.  

Not to be outdone, the Seafood Department has the largest selection of fresh and local items available in the area. Selections can be seasoned and steamed at no cost right in the store. A Cooked Prawn Bar plus entrees like Killer Crab Cakes, make for easy dining for busy families.

The Deli’s hallmark is restaurant-quality foods, including exclusives like Boar’s Head all-natural sliced-to-order meats and cheeses, DaVinci Classic Subs, made fresh to order and an innovative Cheese Kiosk, with artisanal and local brands custom-wrapped in just the amount needed. The Wing Bar has six varieties, hot and ready to munch on. Most important, The Market has surprising value that goes along with fabulous chef-prepared entrees.

In the Bakery, sweets and breads are the order of the day, again made fresh daily with the finest local ingredients. Over 20 different cakes to choose from, large gourmet cupcakes, Willamette all-natural handmade pies, and our patented Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Rolls are sure to become favorites, along with tasty favorite cookies, breads and doughnuts.

The Market’s popular Silk Road Trading Co. continues to delight with spices solo or mixed in blends to complement your meal. With Gusto d’Italia, all things Italian, from gelato made in-store to a world of olive oil offerings, are located in one place, convenient to shop and attractively priced.

The Market features over 7,500 natural and specialty items, including popular favorites at rock bottom prices, plus some of the best food choices from around the globe.

The largest selection of gluten-free items in the region has been added to the store, along with an expanded selection of name-brand cookware and kitchen essentials, a strong and knowledgeable wine department plus the largest natural health and beauty aids department in northwest Washington.

There’s so much more to see in The Market At Anacortes, so make plans to stop by and discover why we believe food is fun and great food at great prices is for everyone.

Wapato store highlights value, flavor

Following several months of renovation, the International Market at Wapato (formerly Wapato $ave-On-Food$) is hosting a grand opening celebration.  The colorful new decor is the backdrop for the store's unique new additions, all focusing on the best value and quality in town.

What's new at the International Market? The popular La Autentica Tortilleria has been added.  Imagine picking up freshly-made corn and flour tortillas, plus the brand's own savory recipe for spicy pico de gallo...a ready-made snack or meal basic, all at competitive prices, and all made right in the store.

Customers will be delighted to discover the Market's all-new Bakery and Taqueria, where new choices and old favorites are available throughout the day.  The Taqueria is a terrific option for busy people: pick up the essentials and build the meal at home, or grab a taco the way you like it when you're on the move.

An all-new Service Meat and Seafood Department features the freshest quality fish, shellfish, shrimp and more, alongside tender beef, pork, chicken and other choices.  Our expert team will help select the item that's just right for your family meals, and have plenty of ideas on how to prepare it, too.  Special orders are welcome.

Visit the Deli for new hot food choices to tempt your palate.  Loaded with flavor, you'll relish the many new selections we make daily.  Both Produce and Bulk Foods have been expanded at our customers' request, and the entire store offers selection coupled with the best value in town.

The International Market, located at 512 W. First St. in Wapato, has a slate of exciting prizes during its grand opening celebration, including the opportunity to win one of two $2,500 grocery gift cards to the store, a washer/dryer combo,a Hispanic-themed or football-themed party platter, a mini fridge and more.  There will be samplings of the many new products that have been introduced to the store.  Most important, customers will discover that value for their dollar and quality products are a winning combination.

Help Us Feed the Hungry

For the tenth year in a row, our stores joined in the food industry's crusade against hunger, Food For All.

Food For All raises money through checkstand donations during the holiday season.  At all our stores, from November 15 through January 3, we gratefully accept ed donations of $1, $3 or $5 from our customers and team members.

Each of our stores  selected a local food-based charity to receive the funds donated.  Over the past nine years, our stores have collected over $146,000 to feed the hungry.

It's a simple but powerful program: signs and posters at our checkstands ask customers to make a donation of $1, $3 or $5 every time they shop with us.  This donation is added to the customer's bill and the money goes to food-based charities.

Watch this space to see how much money all of us raised to feed the hungry this holiday season!