Woodman's Opens 243,500-Square-Foot Store in Plainfield, Illinois

Woodman's Food Markets has opened a 243,500-square-foot store in Plainfield, Illinois. The location, at the corner of Illinois Route 59 and 119th Street, opened Sept. 29 and marks the employee-owned grocer's seventh store in the state.

The Plainfield store operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Janesville, Wisconsin-based company said the location brought more than 200 jobs to the area. For a retailer that now runs 21 stores across Wisconsin and Illinois, the Plainfield opening extends a footprint built over more than a century in business.

CEO Clint Woodman tied the opening directly to the community. "We're proud to be part of the Plainfield community, and we look forward to providing great savings, a huge selection and incredible service for years to come," Woodman said. "We look forward to being a valued neighbor in this community."

Plainfield Mayor John Argoudelis said the development would help spur retail growth and redevelopment in the village's north retail areas while generating sales tax revenue. The mayor's framing points to the store's role beyond groceries: the project anchors a broader commercial push in that corridor.

What does the new store include?

The Plainfield location carries national brands, private brands and specialty items. Fresh departments span produce, meat, deli, bakery and sushi. The site also adds:

• A liquor department with its own entrance and dedicated checkouts
• A fuel center with gas, a convenience store, a car wash and an oil change center
• Online ordering for pickup or delivery, plus digital coupons

The combination positions the store as a one-stop destination. Shoppers can fill a cart, fuel a car and order groceries online from a single campus. The separate liquor entrance and checkouts follow a format the grocer uses to manage alcohol sales as a distinct operation.

How did Woodman's mark the opening?

Woodman's held a grand opening celebration Oct. 24, roughly a month after the store began trading. The event featured samples, giveaways and family activities. It also included a community tailgate with Chicago chef Lamar Moore and a school spirit challenge that benefited local high schools.

Mel Coleman Jr., a fifth-generation member of the Coleman family, attended the event to talk about the family's 150-year-old brand. His presence connected the store opening to a longer heritage of Midwestern food retail.

Woodman's own history runs deep as well. The company was founded in 1919 as a produce stand in Janesville, Wisconsin. It is now 100 percent employee-owned, a structure the grocer consistently highlights as central to its model, and it operates 21 stores across Wisconsin and Illinois.

The Plainfield store gives Woodman's its seventh Illinois location and a 24/7 footprint in one of the Chicago area's fastest-growing suburbs. Mayor Argoudelis's prediction of spillover retail growth and new sales tax revenue now becomes the metric to watch for the village's north retail corridor.