SCHMITZ’S ECONOMART
SPOONER, WISCONSIN
For more than eight decades, Schmitz’s Economart has been a fixture in the Wisconsin community of Spooner. Located about two hours by car northeast of Minneapolis, the grocery store continues to offer its shoppers a host of services including a UPS drop-off, motor vehicle renewals and a photo kiosk. Having its proverbial finger on the pulse of the community, evolution has long been vital for the single-store grocer’s success. More recently, the store now owned by Ted Schmitz and his wife, Laura, has expanded its assortment of private brand products while also introducing curbside pickup for online orders and enhanced services at the store’s drive-thru. “We’re located in a small town and really the only conventional grocery store in Spooner,” said Schmitz, now the third-generation owner of the grocer that carries his family name. “We compete against some of the national dollar store chains in the area and also a few convenience stores.” In business for 86 years, Schmitz’s loyal customer base is multi-generational, which Schmitz said he is reminded of from time-totime by his shoppers. “I talk with people all the time who tell me they remember shopping at our previous location downtown when they were a kid,” he said. “We hear so many stories about our store from the past.” While private brand products across retail are enjoying a period of growth as consumers navigate current-day high prices, Schmitz noted his store has long been a proponent of carrying private label items and recalls a time in the 1980s when the company’s then-grocery manager was heavy into private brands. Today, Schmitz’s private label assortment consists mainly of the Our Family own brand from SpartanNash, a relationship that dates back to the early 1990s when the company was known as Nash Finch. To highlight its private label assortment, Schmitz’s holds a weekly promotion that offers customers a select free private label item when
We really push some great values to our customers and put some strong pricepoints out there on various items ranging from canned vegetables to soups and foods for the fall. We also make sure to highlight the sales in our printed circular. – Ted Schmitz, Schmitz’s Economart
SCHMITZ’S ECONOMART OFFERS A BROAD SELECTION OF PRIVATE LABEL PRODUCTS UNDER THE OUR FAMILY BRAND.
they make a minimum $20 purchase. “This has led a lot of people to try products sold under the Our Family brand and realize they are as good as the national brand,” Schmitz said. “We have developed a lot of (Our Family) customers that way and made them less afraid to buy products sold under the brand.” Additionally, Schmitz’s twice a year hosts its Our Family truckload sales that shines a bright spotlight on its broad assortment of private brand products. This is highlighted by oversized displays in the front of the store that features a host of grocery items. The sales are held just prior to back-to-school
www.storebrands.com ● May/June 2023 ● Store Brands
024-027-020_SBR_Independents_0623_v3.indd 25
25
6/1/23 1:18 PM