Walmart’s worst nightmare?

Recently a grocery industry analyst by the name of Burt Flickinger raised eyebrows when, in a newspaper article, he said he’d identified a grocery chain that was, in his words, “Walmart’s worst nightmare.”

Publix? Aldi? Trader Joe’s? No way.

The grocer Flickinger was referring to was WinCo Foods, a 100-store chain that operates in the Western United States and is based in Boise, Idaho.

Indeed experts call WinCo a fabulously efficient operator that often beats Walmart on price.

WinCo is a classic no frills retailer. It doesn’t offer much variety and customers are expected to bag their own groceries. But it gives shoppers what they want: low prices, clean stores and solid customer service.

Interestingly WinCo also provides generous pension plans for its employees.

For more on WinCo, check out this article from Time and this one in the Idaho Statesman.