Sam Bugarsky, Wilco CEO, welcomes vendors, Wilco leadership, construction team and members of the public to the new Prineville store ribbon cutting.

A newly expanded Wilco Farm Store opened on Tuesday morning in Prineville, Ore., the latest expansion of the agricultural cooperative’s retail footprint.

The new store offers a full garden center, bulk bark and soil, a covered drive-thru load-out area, dog grooming services, self-washing and drying pet stations and a clothing section.

“The existing old Prineville store footprint would actually fit inside the clothing area of the new store,” said store manager Kati Hulett.

The Prineville expansion reflects a broader trend of growth for Wilco Co-Op.

During Wilco’s 57th annual member meeting in March, top executives reported $373 million in sales — up $44 million from the previous record set in 2021. Wilco’s sales were at a record high for the third year in a row in 2022, and its profits were at the second-highest point on record.

More than three-quarters of Wilco’s sales came from its retail stores. Some of its divisions, including its hazelnut division, have performed more poorly.

Trent Ricksger, a senior product merchant for Wilco Co-Op, recently told Capital Press that people in the past few years have continued investing in their homes, gardening, buying small or hobby farm goods and getting chicks, all of which have meant strong sales for Wilco.

He said, however, that it is still too early to tell what this summer’s trends will be. Will people go on vacations, or will they tighten their budgets and stay home to garden instead? The answers to those questions — and the related sales patterns — will be clearer later this spring, he said.

“I guess we’ll find out,” said Ricksger.

In the meantime, Wilco continues its expansion plans.

On April 6, the co-op broke ground on yet another new store — this time, in Eugene, Ore. Wilco already has a store in Springfield, Eugene’s sister city.

“We’re excited about this location, which will complement the successful Springfield Wilco in the south valley and provides a more convenient store for customers in Eugene and west towards the coast,” T.J. Colson, Wilco’s president of retail stores, said in a statement.

The Eugene Wilco will be the co-op’s 16th store in Oregon and 26th store across the West. The co-op has stores across Washington, Oregon and California.