Bi-Mart

Hey Kenny (a little bit farther down): You must be very young and might not know much of the past of Portland. I am one of the oldies who some time soon will meet their maker, but until then at least — PLEASE, BIMART, REMAIN AS YOU ARE! Whenever BiMart should decide to change its image, another piece of Oregon will be gone. Younger people might not remember or
understand it, but I like the somewhat ‘old people-​ish’ layout, I like the personal attention of the employees, I like the prices and the whole set-​up of the store and what I like best: BiMart is Employee-​Owned!

Hillarious — check out clerk made a comment about me to the other clerk… In front of me!
Obviously, this place is part of another dimension. It’s like the being in albany, OR but while you re in Portlandia.

I felt like it was 1981 and my grandpa was taking us to his favorite store for an ice cream, fishing lures, milk, a new shirt, a sprinkler head, a spare tire, nail polish remover and develop some film. Only thing missing was the machine that tests bulbs for his TV.
And this was today. Seriously a time warp. Like TG&Y from my youth, and not updated once since then. But it’s cool, $ 5 membership for life… worth it for hanging plants at ½ the price of ACE across the street.
BTW I miss Gramps. He told the best dirty jokes.

It only takes one little hole to sink the entire raft. Unfortunately one guy here is the little hole of this Bimart. I asked an employee who was stocking shelves if anybody specific works in the BBQ area. And rudely he asks, «what do you need?» I said, «I have a question about one of the BBQ grills but I want to show you which one.» He replies,“yeah. But what do you need ?” All the while with a bothered look on his face. Curly brown haired guy… You need some customer service classes. Rude.
Lady greeting us was sweet and actually has people skills.

There’s just something special about Bi-​Mart. In the tradition of the old five and dimes, they seem to stock just about everything. We’ve bought household appliances, socks and bathrobes, bookshelves, gardening supplies, medicine, Christmas lights, home décor, and rain gear. The staff are always attentive, down to earth, and helpful. Everyone who works there just feels like a good neighbor. The prices are some of the best I’ve seen, and it’s simply a nice place to walk around and buy what you need. I hope they remain a Woodstock institution well into the future.

I love the fact its membership is ONLY $ 5 for a lifetime. Plus its EMPLOYEE OWNED! Prices are close to Walmart but with savings at Walmart you have to ARGH wait inline too long.

Never going back due to extreme idiocy & rudeness of employee. Apparently when a checkout clerk is confused by a woman having short hair, it’s considered acceptable to address her as «whatever». Really? I can find what I need somewhere else.

This place has a little bit of everything. Clothes, canning supplies, DVD’s, some food, guns, ammo, you can buy fishing licenses here, inflatable kayaks, fishing poles, gardening supplies, plants, household appliances, etc. The prices are reasonable and the staff is usually friendly older ladies.

Imagine Wal-​Mart but without the People of Wal-​Mart. Imagine Costco but with a $ 5 lifetime membership. Imagine the 80’s. And imagine a department store that has a mix of these three attrubutes that also sells guns.
BOOM! You have Bi-​Mart. This place is a total relic, but it still seems to be going strong. You can find food, housewares, camping supplies, hardware, personal care products, beer/​wine, sporting goods, gardening supplies, small appliances and so much more here. Considering the $ 5 lifetime membership but a little afraid to just take the plunge? They’ll let you shop once for free just to see how awesome the deals are.
Of course you do get what you pay for here. Some of the goods are fairly cheap, but Bi-​Mart stocks plenty of high quality brands, many without the premium you’ll pay at those bougie dens of consumerism like Costco. Also you don’t have to buy a year’s supply of anything here. The sizes are more manageable. Third, pretty much every Bi-​Mart location is pretty dated. It’s like you stepped into the 80’s small-​town department store when you walk in. But the upside is that the prices are like the 80’s too.
Seriously, drop the pretense and check this place out. You’ll be amazed at what you find here.

First off, go and read all the other reviews here about Bi-​Mart as most say it true and most say it well. I don’t even really need to add my two cents, but wanted to anyway. I always say to my friends «I don’t think Bi-​Mart is going to be in business in 10 – 20 years.» :-/​
Prices at the store are very fair if you can deal with the hours, clientele and the curious product mixture. I tend to pick up great deals on local Oregon/​Washington microbrewed beers at Bi-​Mart. They also can take bottle returns and count by hand if you’re like me and hate the machines most grocers use.
If you need a perfect idea of what a store is laid out like and what they carry (they are ALL the same), go to the Bi-​Mart website and visit the «departments» link under store information. They are my go to for inexpensive automotive and camping supplies.
If you ever want cash back when paying with debit, you can get it but they cap it at $ 10, like a 7-​Eleven (WTF?).

They just don’t make stores like Bi-​Mart anymore. And really, now that I think about it, haven’t for the past 30 years. This place is definitely a relic and knowing it’s there, makes me think of Woodstock as a particularly quaint, nostalgic part of Portland. They’re employee-​owned, local and that’s why I shop there. The prices, as other reviewers have already stated are pretty much the same as you’d pay elsewhere but they do have awesome specials and so many things that you need all in one place.
Another thing I like about Bi-​Mart is that even though it’s a relatively large building, it’s not ginormous like Walmart & Costco. It’s back from the street, tucked into an understated strip mall area and there’s plenty of parking. They offer a wide variety of herbs and vegetable/​flowering plants and the prices for these items are excellent. The last time I checked, they had around a dozen different kinds of tomato plants. As far as the guns thing, I never noticed they sold them here but I’m from Texas where they sell guns everywhere. ;) Another reason we shop here is that we have an espresso business where we use Melita No. 6 cone filters for our drip coffee. This is the ONLY PLACE IN TOWN that has them apparently. Freddie’s used to but doesn’t carry them anymore. And as a girlie girl, I appreciate their amazing selection of the very underrated Wet n’ Wild cosmetics line, especially the .99 lipsticks and nail polishes. They also have random good stuff like Giradelli semi-​sweet chocolate chips, chain saws, Febreeze, Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, fishing tackle, good paint, home espresso machines, soft toilet paper, Dr. Scholl’s gel inserts, travel sizes, rice milk and basketballs. On the other hand, they’re not very enlightened when it comes to environmentally-​conscious products. They have lots of Round-​Up crap unfortunately. But the over-​55 mostly female staff are all super friendly, real and will tell you if you left your lights on. They also all seem to know you even if you’ve only shopped there a couple of times. They also play great 50 – 60’s rock n’ roll and anytime I can hum along to Buddy Holly while shopping, then I guess that makes me pretty happy.

Great store. Kinda like Freddies but smaller. Good deals. Like most stores, look for sales in the paper. I like it for the camping supplies. Just about everything i need for supplies but less crowds and close to my house. It was nice to be asked if i needed help. Friendly staff. Maybe a little much but i think that problem would be solved if they had more customers.

Wanna go back in time? Where’s the time-​machine you say? It’s over on 43^rd and Woodstock, and it’s called Bi-​Mart. I’m guessing not much has changed in 30 – 40 years. I’ve lived in Portland all this time, and have never gone to a BiMart, just because I didn’t have a Bi-​Mart card. When I moved to the neighborhood, I thought, «WTF!!!», so I got one. The woman asks, «Have you been to BiMart before??» «No», «Then go ahead and go shop, and on your second visit, you get a card if you like it and wanna come back». «Fair Enough», I thought. It’s kind of dingy and dismal inside… like an old KMart, minus the wafting aroma of the cafeteria food that used to make me salivate as a wee ladd, back in the mid 70’s. There is always someone there at the front when you walk in. Show your card (even from far away) and they push a button that opens this tiny-​gate (that really isn’t even latched anyway because it seems to be broken) and you go in. It’s odd to be browsing around and stumble upon a huge arsenal of fire-​arms right after you picked up some swiffer dusters. Even recently, they had a TV commercial that was advertising some sale items. One was amunition, one was grape juice, and I forgot the 3^rd one. But it made me LoL :-) I was thinking I would shop here for my household-​type stuff (laundry soap, kleenex, paper towels, dish soap, yada yada) instead of Target, to try to keep my money more local. They had a GREAT selection of garden stuff, including a whole bunch of planters, lattices etc out front that seemed reasonably priced. There were a few items I went for that they didn’t have, but it was okay. A couple things seemed priced a bit higher, but not too bad. I’m going to give Bi-​Mart 3 starts w/​a 4^th star as a «sympathy vote», to get people to shop here, and support their local community. Instead of driving all the way out to Walmart (evil) or Target on the outskirts of town, try Bi-​Mart for your «target-​ish» store. Bi-​Mart won’t be around forever, so get some enjoyment out of this vintage relic before it’s swallowed up by a corporate giant.

For those of you who have NOT been to BIMART let me ask you to sit down and get ready for this bit of reality:
It’s not fancy.
(gasp)
Yes, that’s right… It’s pretty much a carbon copy of a variety store you might find in Eastern Oregon where tumbleweeds roll through the parking lot kissed by clouds of hot dry sand.
You need a gun?
You need a new car battery?
You need a new BBQ?
You need to paint your house?
You need to get 15 bags of soil?
You need fireworks for the 4^th of July?
You need to can 10 lbs. of pickles?
I could go on folks but BIMART is off the hook for this kind of stuff.
I know that many of the prices suck — but — they have so many specials on things that are a big deal that it makes it a fantastic place to find great deals.
Examples:
My large propane smoker was $ 40 less than anywhere else.
I get bags of wood chips for the smoker for 50% less than I can buy them elsewhere.
I got tire chains there for $ 50 less than any other store.
So the moral of the story is this… You see the outside of the store and it looks unimpressive. It’s NOT FANCY.
What it is though is a place where you can find great deals, helpful employees, and funky stuff.

I admit it, I come form what is known as the ‘working class’ (go ahead and call me white trash, I don’t mind). Perhaps that explains my love of Bi-​Mart. First of all let’s talk about the prices: Low, low, low! And that should appeal to anyone with a brain in their head and limited cash in their pocket. Secondly, there is the variety-​store selection; you can find anything you need there, including cosmetics, kitchenware, rubber boots (his and hers), paint, plants, magazines, crafting supplies, and supplies for the hunter, camper, fisherman, and gearhead alike!
So, come for the price and selection, but stay for the other wonderful BI-​Mart features: In the summer, you can walk in off the stifling streets of Portland and be whisked away courtesy of Bi-Mart’s industrial strength A/​C. The giant vent in the middle of the store blasts sweet refrigerated air, making you feel as though you were lounging on an ice floe being served mint juleps by a penguin. In winter, the same 5 foot square vent blows toasty warm, and sucks the damp out of your bones.
As if that were not enough, can we talk about the music? It’s satellite radio, devoted to obscure 1950’s singles. Imagine my delight when, as I shopped for thermal underwear one afternoon, I heard the haunting strains of «Blue Velvet» come over the loudspeakers.
Bi-​Mart is staffed by ladies who call you «hon,» and a few younger staff, all of whom are helpful and attentive.
This is a fine example of the kind of store that flourished a few decades ago, but has since been put on the endangered species list by nasty old Wal-​Mart. Which brings me to my next point: Bi-​Mart is worker owned, and locally run. Yee f***in’ haw for that.

Dude. I DONT get this place. It is too dam big, sterile, and box store-​y to give the impression of local and neighbor-​hoody.
It is like a big Walgreens with prices that are not all that awesome. I see ads and cannot help but think…“I need a membership to buy stuff for normal low prices?” Huh?
Please become a more interesting and charming establishment. The Hood NEED’s it.
The elderly that like this place are starting to Meet the Maker. Maybe Bi-​Mart will follow suit? Is it doing THAT well?

One of the coolest retro facts about this particular Bi-​Mart is the rock faced walls around three sides of the building. How 1960’s is that? Nice. This used to be the location of Safeway when I was in grade school (70’s) and the current Woodstock Safeway was the local variety store which was named Disco Mart, I kid you not.
Bi-​Mart used to be very proud of their «members only» marketing gimmick but they’re not as picky about it these days. I like Bi-​Mart because of the variety of items they sell. You can buy (some) grocery items, milk, cigs (we don’t but you might), garden plants and tools, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, laundry supplies, housewares, area rugs, camping/​hunting/​fishing supplies, cat food, mid-​level electronics, hardware, paint, greeting cards, candy, and their own brand of men’s denim jeans for $ 9.99 per pair. All that in one store, and then some.
It’s local and that’s good. They play upbeat 50s/​60s Golden Oldies on their soundsystem, and that’s fun. The staff are (mostly) mid-​age which translates to (mostly) helpful and polite, something I truly appreciate, and that’s become so rare in our current hurry-​it-​up, know-​it-​all era.
A Northwest tradition, employee owned and operated. Good for them and for us.
P. S. After reading other reviews I’d like to add that it’s not just ‘old people’ or ‘low rent’ folks that shop here, and, while the building has certainly been on Woodstock Blvd. for 40+ years (see my note about Safeway above), Bi-​Mart has not.

There’s a little hillbilly in the middle of every city, and Bi-​Mart just so happens to be the haven that your quirky Uncle Earl resorts to for his Bud and snus when he’s in town. And it makes him feel special because he gets to flash his $ 5 green (or yellow, if you’re a lady) lifetime membership card to get in.
Okay, okay, maybe I’m being a little severe. BUT it’s not like I have absolutely no evidence to support my claim. You can buy guns and bullets at Bi-​Mart! They’re located near the children’s game section. Today I got some bullets there (don’t ask), and I saw a young pregnant woman checking out the rifles.
I felt a little weird going in asking for some 45 ACPs, but no one even cocked a brow. Do I look like someone who goes shooting regularly? And then there’s an age requirement to purchase them, and the nice middle-​aged woman wearing the obligatory blue vest at the checkout simple overrode the age thing. Asked me if I wanted a bag. That was that.
I think the «camping» section also has a fake buck hanging from the ceiling next to the inflatable raft. Very nice!
But if the outdoors aren’t your thing, be sure to check out the selection of hair dyes (often on coupon), adult underwear lining, peach-​flavored wine, and the bargain bin (which often contains broken candy bars and used or half-​spilled nail polishes in weird colors).
If you go on Tuesday, check to see if you have a «Lucky Number,» and won a $ 10 coffee pot.
So, does this store really fit into the hippie/​trendy Woodstock neighborhood? Not really. But it’s kind of fun to go and unleash your inner ‘billy every once in a while…

The first time I drove by, I thought it was Rite-​Aid, the second time I thought, it’s all old people (which is kind of true) and the third time I had a nasty reaction to something in the garden, so I didn’t care what it was, I jus t went straight to the pharmacy to fill a prescription.
At Bi-​Mart, I have found really decent things at really good prices. They get props for being completely locally owned and operated, and their employees «own» (never really 100% sure about this one) their stores. So, it’s better than Rite Aid et al.
I was generous with the stars because they have good prices, and their selection is diverse. They do not however, have a good selection of natural products, so I do end up getting my Seventh Generation and recycled home things at Trader Joe’s and Fred Meyer’s. But, for a corner drug store it’s pretty darn handy, and I can’t stress enough about being local. Give it a whirl, maybe you’ll end up winning their Tuesday raffle.