Nugget Markets

Nugget Markets, Inc.

Nugget Markets on East Covell Blvd. in Davis, California
Type	Private
Industry	Retail (Grocery)
Founded	1926 (95 years ago) (1926) in Woodland, California, U.S.
Founder	William Stille Mack Stille
Headquarters	Davis, California , U.S.
Number of locations	16[1] (As of May, 2021)
Area served	California
Key people	Eric Stille (CEO, President) Chris Carpenter (COO, Vice President)
Products	Bakery, dairy, delicatessen, frozen foods, grocery, meat, produce, seafood, snacks, prepared foods
Services	Catering, Restaurants
Revenue	$400 million (207)
Owner	(Stille Family (100%))
Number of employees	2,000 (2019)
Website	www.nuggetmarket.com

Nugget Markets is a family-owned upscale supermarket chain operating within the greater Sacramento metropolitan area as well as in Marin and Sonoma Counties. It is headquartered in Davis, California. As of October 2019, the company operates twelve of its flagship Nugget Markets-brand stores, as well as Sonoma Market in Sonoma, Fork Lift by Nugget Markets in Cameron Park and Food 4 Less in Woodland.

History[]

In 1926, Nugget Markets opened its first store in Woodland, California by the father-and-son team of William and Mack Stille. Mack Stille ran most of the day-to-day operations and introduced many unconventional policies to the store, such as incorporating meat departments, installing refrigerated produce cases and employing checkout stands equipped with power belts.^[2]

In the late 1970s, under the leadership of Mack's son, Gene, and grandson, Eric, the company began its expansion outside the local Woodland community by opening a Nugget Markets store in neighboring Davis. In 1984, Nugget Markets acquired a pair of Sacramento Alpha Beta grocery stores and converted them into Nugget Markets, one in the Greenhaven-Pocket neighborhood, the other in Foothill Farms on Hillsdale Blvd. In the early 90s, Nugget Markets opened its first Food 4 Less franchise in Vallejo, California. In the late 1990s, Nugget Markets developed their Fresh to Market concept, pairing European-style open-air marketing with higher-end products and specialty departments, such as their Cheese Specialists, Wine Stewards, Pastry Chefs in a full-range Bakery, Full-Service Kitchen, Healthy Living Department, dedicated Seafood butcher and a Juice & Espresso Bar.^[3]

In 2006, Nugget Markets leased / bought 8 former Ralph's stores in and around Sacramento.^[4]

In 2015, Nugget Markets acquired Paradise Foods with locations in Novato, Corte Madera and Tiburon.^[5] Also in 2015, Nugget Markets debuted its new “Fork Lift” market concept which was a hybrid of its Nugget and Food4Less Brands within the same store.^[6]

In 2016, Nugget Markets acquired Sonoma Market and Glen Ellen Village Market, both located in Sonoma County, California.^[7]

In 2019, Nugget Markets patriarch Gene Stille died.^[8]

In 2020, Nugget Markets moved its corporate headquarters from Woodland, California to Davis, California.^[9]

In 2021, Nugget Markets was ranked #24 on Fortune's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For," its 16th year on the list.^[10]

Branding[]

Unique to Nugget Markets is their architectural feature at the entrance of new stores, which include a tower and/or a robed woman with a basket of food above her head. The robed woman, in particular, became the corporate logo and mascot of the company.^[11]

Locations[]

Active Nugget Markets stores[]

• Downtown Woodland – 157 Main St., Woodland, California
• El Macero – 409 Mace Blvd., Davis, California
• Lake Crest – 1040 Florin Rd., Sacramento, California
• Southport – 2000 Town Center Plaza, West Sacramento, California
• Park Plaza – 771 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville, California
• Browns Valley – 130 Browns Valley Pkwy., Vacaville, California
• Oak Tree – 1414 E. Covell Blvd., Davis, California
• El Dorado Hills – 4500 Post St., El Dorado Hills, California
• Elk Grove – 7101 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove, California
• Blue Oaks – 1509 Blue Oaks Blvd., Roseville, California
• Tiburon – 1 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon, California
• Corte Madera - 5627 Paradise Drive, Corte Madera, California
• Novato - 470 Ignacio Blvd., Novato, California

Active Sonoma Market store[]

• 500 West Napa St., Sonoma, California

Active Fork Lift by Nugget Markets store[]

• 3333 Coach Ln., Cameron Park, California

Active Food 4 Less store[]

• 451 Pioneer Rd., Woodland, California

Defunct stores[]

• Riverside – 6419 Riverside Blvd., Sacramento, California
• Hillsdale – 5731 Hillsdale Blvd., Sacramento, California

Unfinished stores[]

• Vallejo – Was to have opened in the northeastern section of Vallejo, California.^[12] Plans nixed in November 2006.^[12]

References[]