45 Years of Choices: A Celebration of Community and Legacy

Oregon’s Market of Choice is celebrating 45 years of service to our community, and we’re feeling nostalgic. Join us for a walk down memory lane as we explore the rich history that has shaped our market, and brought us to this incredible milestone.

Falling in Love with Oregon

Our story began with a simple family vacation to Oregon. Captivated by the state’s charm, Rick’s family decided to make it their home. “My mom and the kids stayed up here and my dad went home, sold the house and we moved to Oregon. They just fell in love with the state, and we’ve been here ever since,” Rick recalls. With a desire to serve their new community in a meaningful way, the Wright family set out to make their mark in Oregon.

The Wright Family Legacy

In 1979, Richard Wright bought a Thriftway store in Cottage Grove, setting the stage for what would become a family legacy. Rick grew up helping at the store where teammates and neighbors were like family. After college and gaining experience with another grocer, Rick returned to the family business. They soon opened a new store on 29th and Willamette under the Price Chopper name, which eventually evolved into the Market of Choice we know today.

A New Mission

Rick observed a growing trend towards natural food stores, but noticed that shoppers still relied on traditional stores for conventional products. That’s when he came up with an idea to combine the two concepts and create a store where people could find natural, organic, and locally sourced products along with conventional items — all under one roof. The business now had a new mission to be the market with the most variety, to be Oregon’s Market of Choice.

Embracing Local Connections

By the early 2000s, the Wright family began to see the positive impact they were making in the community. As customer demand grew, so did their store. Along the way the company continued to support the local food economy, especially entrepreneurs and small makers. In 2016 the buying team created the MOJO program which provides free logistics services for qualified small businesses. Similarly, our local farm program supports farmers by providing a platform to grow their businesses and deliver fresh, farm-to-table produce to our stores.

This is Who We Are

We’re a company built on the desire to serve the communities we love. We offer our customers a relaxed shopping experience with friendly teammates who care about the places where they live and work. We’re a place where people can find a large selection of choices, including more than 700 locally sourced products.
With 11 stores and our 12th opening in Hillsboro in 2025, we continue to evolve as manufacturers, distributors, retailers and dream makers. We’re here to serve shoppers, but also to support local farmers, artisans and innovators who work hard every day to bring quality products to our community. We’re Oregon’s Market of Choice—celebrating 45 years of choices and counting.