For Customers
- Stores remain Open to provide the essentials you need for your pets, farm and homes, but we have reduced hours, temporarily closing early at 6pm, and we were required to close the dog grooming shops. We anticipate this to remain through May 31st.
- We are HIRING seasonal help to be able to keep up with increased online orders, deliveries and maintain or increase our service levels.
- We have focused on inventory supply and are dedicated to keeping core products in stock; such as poultry, horse and livestock feeds, animal health supplies, dog/cat food and other important items you need.
- We are conducting regular cleaning of high touch surfaces like shopping carts, doors, and areas around the cashier checkout, and increased the level of cleaning services in the evening.
- All Team members on the sales floor are wearing face masks and we’re asking customers to help keep our team safe and wear them as well.
- Signage has been added on the floors and throughout the store to help remind everyone to social distance and be a good neighbor to each other and our team members.
- farmstore.com Buy Online and Pickup in Store with Drive Through Pickup, never leave your car, contactless pickup remains a focus, and we have shifted team members roles to help with online ordering and call volume.
- We have added more team members to add more products to farmstore.com to increase online purchase options and increased technology investments to add features you’re requesting given the stay-at-home requirements.
- Extended in-store sale events to online sales to offer the same discounts and pricing online as you’d receive at a store; including additional email and digital promotions to continue presenting value and deals even though many events and crowd-drawing promotions have been canceled.
For Team Members
- Working in store is up to each team member and anyone who feels at risk or has concerns is staying at home; anyone with symptoms or known exposure is required to stay at home and follow CDC guidelines until they return to work.
- We’ve canceled sales and events so we don’t draw crowds and changed advertising to push online, drive through pickup or other contactless purchase options.
- Installed plexiglass barriers at cashier checkout between cashiers and customers as well as between cashier work stations where they are closer than 6 ft.
- Continue to provide personal protective equipment to team members (gloves, masks and sanitizer)
- We initially split-shifted our teams into two completely separate groups to further reduce exposure between our teams and have slowly started to reintegrate in May.
- Added social distancing employee badges that emphasize social distancing to protect both our valued customers and team members.
- We have given team members additional PTO time (allowing negative Paid Time Off balances)
- In recognition of our dedicated and amazing Team Members, we added appreciation bonuses to those who must be at facilities to assist customers and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as follows:
- A $2 per hour appreciation bonus to all hourly Team Members, effective from March 15 until further notice.
- Other bonuses have been made available to those heavily impacted and contributing to the current situation
- Providing infrared scanning thermometers and a process for all team members to be tested when starting their shift and assure nobody with a temperature is in our locations.
- Wilco’s Employee Assistance Program provides free programs such as crisis and financial counseling during times of need.
- Back office team members are working remotely and many have received additional training on cashiering and in-store processes in case additional help is needed in stores.
For Community
- We continue to support our Community Partners, even if their fundraisers or events are canceled, and donations were doubled in March despite the unknown impacts of COVID-19
- Wilco provided $50 gift cards to the kids who had their Puyallup Spring Fair and Auction canceled and are working on other ways to help future fairs and junior livestock auctions that may be canceled or altered.
- As a farmer-owned cooperative with “Community” as a core value, we’ll continue to evaluate decisions with our communities top-of-mind and look for ways to strengthen agriculture and rural lifestyles.
As a farmer-owned cooperative with many business and touchpoints across our communities, we take this opportunity to be grateful for all they do. From our farmer-owners providing the most essential of needs, food, to our Wilco team members working in stores across Oregon and Washington providing pet, farm and home essentials, we Thank You!
LETTER FROM OUR CEO
Tuesday, May 11, 2020 – edited 12/13/2020
An update to our customers, farmer-owners and communities,
Thank you for your continued business and support as we navigate daily decisions as to how best support our customers while prioritizing safety.
- Regarding safety and a focus on social distancing;
- We have increased cleaning frequencies, by both our cleaning services and throughout the day by your Wilco teams
- We have continued to cancel promotional events that are expected to draw crowds through May and into June.
- We have installed sneeze guards at our registers and partitions between cashiers for everyone’s safety
- Our stores all have signs and floor decals to remind everyone to social distance and to maintain one-way shopping aisles
- Our customer service employees are ALL wearing face covers and we respectfully request customers wear masks also
- We are stocking our stores before opening and after closing to limit contact
- We are continuously monitoring customer counts in our stores to be sure we’re under the CDC recommended numbers
- We are Managing in-store register line queueing with marked 6’ separations
We are also focused on being a reliable source for the items you need. We are:
- Closely monitoring product supply and working with vendors to have the products you need available
- Offering online purchases on farmstore.com
- Drive-Through Pickup option, never leave your car
- Ship items directly to your home
- Contact us at [email protected] with questions
- Staffing up for Wilco delivery in most stores, call your local store for options
We at Wilco are here to stand with you through the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and help as we are able. The health and safety of our team members and our communities remain a priority and we will continue to take measures to ensure we have a safe environment in-store and online or delivery options to purchase the items you need without going into the store.
We appreciate all your help following CDC recommendations and being a positive impact towards getting our communities through this.
A final note, we are closely monitoring the fairs, rodeos and junior livestock auction situations. Kids youth projects are core to our mission of strengthening agricultural and as we learn of updates we’ll consider options on how to help.
Stay safe and healthy.
Sam Bugarsky
CEO
Thursday, March 19, 2020
To our customers, farmer-owners and communities,
We wanted to provide an update on how our team is focusing on safety while staying open to provide the essentials you need for your home, pets and livestock.
Store Hours Update:
Effective Monday, March 23rd Wilco Stores will temporarily be closing at 6 pm daily.
- Monday through Saturday, Open 8 am to 6 pm
- Sunday, Open 9 am to 6 pm (staying the same)
- Shop Online at farmstore.com anytime and use ship-to-home or FREE drive-through store pickup.
Regarding safety and a focus on social distancing;
- We have increased cleaning frequencies, by both our cleaning services and throughout the day by your Wilco teams
- We have reduced and eliminated travel and most meetings have moved to video calls to avoid groups together in rooms
- We are split-shifting teams to add more separation between groups
- We have canceled events that are expected to draw crowds
- The leadership teams have daily calls to review changes and updates to the plan as things change
We are also focused on being a reliable source for the items you need. We are:
- Closely monitoring product supply and working with vendors to have the products you need available
- Offering online purchases on farmstore.com
- Drive-Through Pickup option, never leave your car
- Ship items directly to your home
- Contact us at [email protected] with questions
- Staffing for Wilco delivery as an option, call your local store for options
- Encouraging everyone to buy only what you need so our neighbors and communities have access to products as they need them
We at Wilco are here to stand with you through the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and help as we are able. The health and safety of our team members and our communities are a top priority and we will continue to take measures to ensure we have a safe environment in-store and online or delivery options to purchase the items you need without going into the store.
We appreciate all your help following CDC recommendations and being a positive impact towards getting our communities through this.
Stay safe and healthy.
Sam Bugarsky
CEO
