WinCo Foods Inc. is one retailer that’s increasing its sales in the recession.

The discount warehouse grocery chain, which has five stores in Greater Sacramento, expects to boost its sales by $500 million for the fiscal year ending in late March, said Mike Read, vice president of legal and public affairs. WinCo projects sales of $4 billion, up from $3.5 billion for last fiscal year.

A rumor has WinCo scouting around the region for possible expansion sites — the retailer’s typical store is about 94,000 square feet. The grocer is always looking in the five Western states for possible sites, Read said. He said he wasn’t aware of any particular site being considered or any specific growth plans here.

But, he added, “We’ve had great success in the Sacramento market.”

The Boise, Idaho-based grocer last added a Sacramento-area store almost three years ago, in Orangevale. Its other stores are in Roseville, Antelope, Folsom and Elk Grove.

The retailer has been adding six to seven stores a year for the past several years, for a 10 percent growth rate. The company has 64 stores, including 27 in California.

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