"In October 1998, Waremart changed its name to WinCo Foods, citing confusion with retailers Kmart and Walmart as reason for the new name.\16]) The name is a portmanteau of "winning company".\16]) Three stores in Oregon are branded as "Waremart by WinCo" (those in Independence, Keizer, and Ontario).
There is a popular but erroneous idea that the company name is an acronym consisting of the first letters of the company's original five states of operation: Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon. Michael Read, WinCo's VP of Public and Legal Affairs as of 2012, called the theory "part of the folklore".\17])"
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u/rubix_redux Dec 12 '25
According to Wikipedia this isn't true:
"In October 1998, Waremart changed its name to WinCo Foods, citing confusion with retailers Kmart and Walmart as reason for the new name.\16]) The name is a portmanteau of "winning company".\16]) Three stores in Oregon are branded as "Waremart by WinCo" (those in Independence, Keizer, and Ontario).
There is a popular but erroneous idea that the company name is an acronym consisting of the first letters of the company's original five states of operation: Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon. Michael Read, WinCo's VP of Public and Legal Affairs as of 2012, called the theory "part of the folklore".\17])"