Welcome to Cash Wise! Our growing retail company is in the business of people serving people – our employees and our guests! Our full-service Coborn’s stores are mostly located throughout Minnesota with two stores in North Dakota.
From there, Cash Wise grew to become a significant part of the company’s portfolio, with a supersized store built in Waite Park, MN in 1982, in what was then pretty much the edge of nowhere. It was built in an open field on the far western edge of St. Cloud. Our philosophy was, “Build it and they will come.” And indeed, they did. Today, the Waite Park location is the top store in the company in terms of yearly sales volume.
Coborn’s, Inc. continues to grow, with much of that tied to the Cash Wise Foods group of stores. Today, we are employee-owned with 77 grocery stores, including 19 under the Cash Wise Food’s banner, and operate a total of over 135 retail locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.
Two generations of Coborn family leadership are actively involved in the company today, including Chris Coborn, who is the current CEO, Chairman of the Board, and his daughter, Emily Coborn Wright, Senior Vice President of Growth Initiatives as well as son Peter Coborn who serves as Director of Strategic Initiative for the company. Under their leadership, we continue to thrive, grow, and evolve into a dynamic organization that exceeds our guests’ expectations and strives to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
In 1979, Coborn’s, Inc. saw the opportunity to try a new business model and go big. We began plans to change the Willmar Coborn’s store from a conventional supermarket layout to a discount warehouse format under the name Cash Wise Foods.
The first Cash Wise Foods opened in Willmar in 1979 with a larger, warehouse grocery retail format, much larger than the size of a typical supermarket at the time. Prices were well below conventional grocery stores making it very attractive to consumers and a popular format still today.
Below are years of establishment for all Cash Wise stores under Coborn's, Inc. To learn more about the birth of Cash Wise Foods, read one of Coborn's, Inc. History chapters »
| YEAR | STORE |
| 1979 | Willmar, MN |
| 1982 | Waite Park, MN |
| 1986 | Hutchinson, MN |
| 1988 | Fargo, ND |
| 1989 | New Ulm, MN |
| 1990 | Owatonna, MN |
| 1993 | Moorhead, MN |
| YEAR | STORE |
| 1979 | Bismarck, ND |
| 1982 | St. Cloud, MN |
| 1986 | Williston, ND |
| 1988 | Watford City, ND |
| 1989 | Stanley, ND |
| 1990 | Tioga, ND |
| YEAR | STORE |
| 1979 | Minot, ND |
| 1982 | Jamestown, ND |
| 1986 | Dickinson, ND |
| 1988 | West Fargo, ND |
| 1989 | South Fargo, ND |
| 1990 | Bismarck - North, ND |
Our Vision and Mission statements are the driving force behind who we are and guide our daily operations. Our Brand Promises are our commitment to shoppers. Together our remarkable employee-owners fulfill our Vision, Mission, and Brand Promises every day to deliver a world-class shopping experience to our guests.
Mission Statement
We empower employee-owners to create unique shopping experience, anticipate needs, and exceed expectations for our guests.
Brand Promises
We’re proud to have served our remarkable communities and the incredible people in them for over a century. Visit our 100 Years page to learn more about our history, team, community connections, and more.
As a company, we have many initiatives in place to support health and nutrition. From providing "Dietitian's Choice" labels on our grocery tags to help guests make better nutrition choices to having healthy checkout lanes, to expanding our Natural and Organic offerings, and maintaining a strong connection with local farmers, healthy living is a priority.
At Cash Wise, it’s our responsibility to do our part to take care of the communities we serve. Each year, we’re making strides in our sustainability efforts that continue to create a difference for our guests, our communities, and our partners. From the beloved shopping carts that are made with recycled plastic, to energy efficient lights and refrigeration and many things in between, we are proud to continue to invest in doing our part to create a healthier planet.
Now, we are employee-owned with 77 grocery stores, including 29 under the Coborn’s banner, and operate a total of over 135 retail locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois.
Two generations of Coborn family leadership are actively involved in the company today, including Chris Coborn, who is the current CEO, Chairman of the Board, and his daughter, Emily Coborn Wright, Vice President of Retail Support Services as well as son Peter Coborn who serves as Director of Liquor Operations for the company. Under their leadership, we continue to thrive, grow, and evolve into a dynamic organization that exceeds our guests’ expectations and strives to meet the needs of the communities we serve.
