Retail news: National retailer opens in Bellingham; new brewery coming to Sunnyland
Here’s a roundup of recent retail activity around Whatcom County:
▪ The Sportsman’s Warehouse is now open at 4297 Meridian St., near Best Buy.
The retailer, which kicked off its grand opening sale on Thursday, Sept. 16, offers a variety of outdoor gear including items for hunting, fishing, camping and kayaking.
The company has nearly 100 stores across the U.S., with Bellingham becoming the ninth store in Washington state. Details about the business can be found at its website.
▪ It turns out Frelard is going to be creating more than tamales in Bellingham next year.
The Seattle-area company known for its handmade tamales announced on Facebook that it also has plans to build a brewery in the Sunnyland neighborhood. The name of the new brewery is called El Suenito Brewing Company. (El Suenito means Little Dream in Spanish).
“Our brewery will combine all the things we love from our Latino heritage, the Pacific Northwest, and best of all, craft beer. No one is ever just one thing and neither are we. We are for those wanderers, those hopeful dreamers, and those who just want a good beer,” owners Dennis Ramey and Osbaldo Hernandez posted on Facebook.
The brewery intends to produce a variety of different beers, including Mexican-style lagers, and will have indoor/outdoor seating. It’ll also be attached to Frelard Tamales, which will be a walk-up window.
In an email, Hernandez said they are looking forward to connecting with Bellingham, noting that community impact and well-being is as important to them as running a profitable business.
“We are a gay and Latino-owned business that pays their employees above minimum wage, provides high quality benefits and paid time off,” Hernandez said.
The plan is to have Frelard Tamales and El Suenito Brewing Company in the spring or summer of 2022. Details and updates can be found on its Facebook page or on Instagram.
▪ WinkWink is in the process of moving into a bigger space in downtown Bellingham.
The store, which bills itself as a woman-owned, inclusive, and “not creepy” sex shop, is moving across the street into 1302 Commercial St. It will have 2,750 square feet of space, expanding the retail store and allowing for community events and classroom space, said owner Jenn Mason.
“While we had many excited customers when initially opened (in 2018), our customer base has expanded over time as more people discover what we do. We’re unlike a traditional sex shop, which makes some people feel more comfortable coming in,” Mason said.
Mason plans to have the store open in the new space by Thursday, Sept. 23. Details and updates can be found on its website.
▪ Fred Meyer has teamed up with Instacart to create a new service that delivers groceries in 30 minutes or less.
The service, known as Delivery Now, allows shoppers to choose among 25,000 items that are delivered to a person’s house. This can be used at Fred Meyer and QFC stores across Washington state, including the two Bellingham Fred Meyer stores.
According to a news release from the company, the delivery service will be offered from early morning into the late evening. Details can be found at instacart.com/kroger-delivery-now.
▪ Along with the expansion of its delivery service, Fred Meyer is also doing some hiring.
According to a news release the grocery store is planning to hire 2,000 workers across the northwest over the next several months.
Full-time and part-time positions are now available in the company’s retail stores and manufacturing facilities and distribution centers. Details can be found at jobs.kroger.com/fredmeyer.
▪ Living Pantry, which offers bulk foods and home goods with a focus on zero waste, is planning to officially open in Bellingham on Tuesday, Sept. 21. The Bellingham store is at 2400 Yew St., near 7-Eleven.
Once open hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
This story was originally published September 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
