Woodman’s, a 16-store supermarket chain out of Wisconsin with stores in Northeast Illinois, is something of a secret unless you live in that area. In addition to being tucked away in the heartland, Woodman’s brings something very special to the communities its serves: an incredible selection and prices that I’m convinced beat Walmart. When I say selection, it’s hard to imagine what a 200,000-plus-square-foot supermarket even looks like. Imagine a Walmart Supercenter that stocks mostly food items plus non-food items carried by typical grocers. No clothing, sporting goods, hardware, garden, consumer electronics, etc. Steve Frenda, managing director – community development for the Path to Purchase Institute, has been a passionate retail watcher for more than four decades. Having worked as a retailer, for a brand manufacturer and in the infotech world, he is an authority on the entire path to purchase and its changing face. Contact Steve at sfrenda@p2pi.org.