Market of Choice
{{Short description|Supermarket chain}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Market of Choice, Inc.
| logo = Moclogo.png
| image = Market of Choice in Cedar Mill, Oregon (2015).jpg
| image_caption = Market of Choice in Cedar Mill, Oregon
| industry = Retail (grocery)
| type = Private
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1979|p=y}} in Cottage Grove, Oregon
| founder = Richard Wright Sr.
| location_city = Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
| area_served = Oregon
| locations = 12
| key_people = Richard Wright Sr. {{small|(Founder, Chairman & CEO)}}
| products = Bakery, delicatessen, dairy, grocery, frozen foods, organic foods, bulk foods, meat, produce, seafood, wine, beer, spirits, floral products, pet supplies, general merchandise, natural food, organic food, coffee
| revenue = {{profit}}US$235 million {{small|(FY 2021)}}
| operating_income =
| owner = Richard Wright
| num_employees = 1,000 {{small|(FY 2021)}}
| homepage = {{URL|marketofchoice.com}}
}}
Market of Choice is a supermarket chainNine locations listed at {{cite web
| url = http://www.marketofchoice.com/about-market-of-choice/locations
| title = Locations
| publisher = Market of Choice
| access-date = January 4, 2016
}} based in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The store carries traditional grocery products, as well as those that are specifically natural and organic.[http://www.marketofchoice.com/about_us/ Market of Choice: About Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925184256/http://www.marketofchoice.com/about_us/ |date=2008-09-25 }}
History
The Market of Choice stores are owned by Market of Choice, Inc. The company began in 1979 with a single store owned by Richard Wright, Sr. in Cottage Grove, Oregon.
The company is now run by the founder's son, Rick Wright. Rick reorganized his father's company, which included Price Chopper and Thriftway stores, and created Market of Choice. As part of its rebranding, Price Chopper stores transitioned to the name PC Market and finally to Market of Choice.{{cite web|title=Market of Choice Manages Their Energy Right|url=http://betterbricks.com/DetailPage.aspx?ID=946|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918232058/http://betterbricks.com/DetailPage.aspx?ID=946|archive-date=September 18, 2010|access-date=April 24, 2018|publisher=Betterbricks}}
By 2011, Market of Choice had seven stores, with four in Eugene and one in each of Ashland, Portland, West Linn and Corvallis. In June 2016, with the opening of a store in Bend, the total had risen to ten.{{cite news|last=Vance|first=Miles|title=New Market of Choice grocery store now open in Bend. Blake Carnese began working with Market of Choice in November of 2017. |date=January 22, 2015|page=A3|url=http://www.marketofchoice.com/bend|access-date=2015-08-10}} In 2017, Market of Choice opened a store at SE 10th and Belmont in southeast Portland.{{cite web|url=http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34472658-75/market-of-choice-ready-to-open-bend-store.html.csp|title=Bend adds Choice|author=Ed Russo|date=June 15, 2016|page=B4|website=registerguard.com|access-date=April 23, 2018}} The Belmont store is a retail anchor for the four-building Goat Blocks mixed-use development, which includes 347 residential units and approximately 97,000 square feet of retail space.{{Cite news|date=2015-08-11|title=Store Bought|work=Oregon Business|url=https://www.oregonbusiness.com/article/restaurants-retail/item/15128-store-bought|access-date=2021-06-13}}{{Cite web|date=2020-02-26|title=Goat Blocks|url=https://killianpacific.com/places/goat-blocks/|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Killian Pacific}} The most recent addition was in 2020, with a store opening in Medford.{{Cite news|last=Pollock|first=Buffy|date=2021-01-27|title=Market of Choice to Open Medford Store Thursday|work=Mail Tribune|url=https://www.mailtribune.com/top-stories/2021/01/27/market-of-choice-to-open-medford-store-thursday/|access-date=2021-06-10}}
In Portland, near SW Terwilliger Boulevard and Taylor's Ferry Boulevard, the first Market of Choice location outside the Eugene region was established in 2002 and later closed down in April 2019. Company leadership cited limited parking, increased traffic congestion, and space constraints as reasons for the closure.{{Cite news|last=Gallagher|first=Bill|date=2019-04-02|title=CEO talks about why Portland's first Market of Choice will shut down on April 14|work=Southwest Connection|url=https://pamplinmedia.com/scc/103-news/423875-329452-ceo-talks-about-why-portlands-first-market-of-choice-will-shut-down-on-april-14|access-date=2021-06-12}}{{cite news |title=Leau Food |url=https://leaufood.com/ |access-date=28 April 2023}}
The company's 50,000 square foot commercial production kitchen and food distribution facility in Eugene opened in 2012.{{Cite web|title=Market of Choice Kitchen & Distribution Center|url=https://www.chambersconstruction.com/market-of-choice-kitchen-and-distribution-center.html|access-date=2021-06-19|website=Chambers Construction}} Market of Choice, Inc. also operates Venue 252, a 20,000 square foot events facility opened in 2015 in Eugene.{{Cite news|last=Burri McDonald|first=Sherri|date=2015-10-25|title=Vision at Venue 252: Grocer Rick Wright's new events center in the Whiteaker has bookings into 2016|work=The Register-Guard|url=http://projects.registerguard.com/rg/news/local/33608920-75/grocer-rick-wrights-new-events-center-has-bookings-into-2016.html.csp|access-date=2021-06-10}}
Local recognition
Market of Choice stores were voted the best grocery store, natural food store, and salad bar in Lane County, in The Register-Guard{{'}}s Readers' Choice awards in 2016. The Eugene stores were also a winner in the dessert category.{{cite web|url=http://readerschoice.registerguard.com/|title=2018 Readers' Choice - The Register-Guard|website=readerschoice.registerguard.com|access-date=17 April 2018}} The Bend Market of Choice store was voted one of the Best Grocery Stores in Central Oregon in 2016 by the readers of Source Weekly.{{cite web|url=http://www.bendsource.com/bend/2016-best-of-central-oregon-winners/BestOf?oid=2747262|title=2016 Best Of Central Oregon Winners|website=bendsource.com|access-date=17 April 2018}}
Environment and Sustainability
In September 2008, Market of Choice removed the use of plastic shopping bags from their stores.{{cite news
| url = http://www.kval.com/news/28244824.html#idc-container |title= Grocery chain cuts plastic bags
| publisher= KVAL-TV |date= September 11, 2008 |access-date= November 1, 2008}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Supermarkets of the United States}}
Category:Supermarkets of the United States
Category:Companies based in Eugene, Oregon
Category:Retail companies established in 1979