Brown & Cole Stores

Brown & Cole Stores

The ownership group of Brown & Cole sought to evaluate its strategic options for maximizing shareholder value.

About Brown & Cole Stores

Brown and Cole were originally established in 1909 making it the oldest supermarket in Washington. However, the company name is not often used anymore, and the company goes by the title “The Markets” which is a banner for a series of other trade names. Some of the trade names include Food Pavilion, Cost Cutter, Food Depot and Save on Food.

The first store to be converted to “The Market” style of supermarket was the branch located in Anacortes. The conventional supermarket merged with a traditional market has been a success as the idea has been welcomed by the general public. They have a department specifically for spices, allowing you to smell the spices before purchasing them for home cooking. They have other sections where the staff cook food in front of you and allow you to take the recipe home with you.

The mission of the company was to make the weekly food shop more fun and enjoyable. The layout of the store allows customer and employee interaction encouraging a high standard of customer service. The market element comes into play with the décor and the fact that all products are locally sourced, each item is marked with a rating showing how local they are to the store.