Tammy LeBarr walked into Tractor Supply Co. in Oak Harbor Friday just to check it out.

She perused aisles stocked with pet supplies, tools and garden doodads. She peered into a glass case full of jewelry designed for the outdoor-inclined woman.

“I like the yard stuff,” said LeBarr, who just moved to Whidbey Island from Darrington.

And the variety, she added.

The “rural lifestyle retail chain” opened its doors this month in Oak Harbor in part of the former Kmart building off State Highway 20.

The rest of the building remains empty.

The Oak Harbor Tractor Supply plans a grand opening Thursday through Sunday. On Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the store is planning to offer freebies to customers, deals and giveaways, including a raffle for a riding lawn mower and chainsaw.

The store had a “soft” opening in mid-May and customers have trickled in to take a peek, said store manager Jerry Smoot.

The retailer doesn’t sell tractors but it sells just about everything else for someone who might own one: workwear, pet supplies, animal feed, power tools, riding mowers, and lawn and garden products.

Another customer, who declined to be identified, said he prefers other local retailers for some of these items, but was pleased to see the store carries his favorite brand of work boots. He was driving off island to find them before.

The manager also opened a Tractor Supply store in Monroe. Smoot said the company prefers to hire local people who have expertise in “farming, fencing and horses” so they can talk intelligently to customers about the products.

The store employs 11 people total, including five employees who work full time.

The company emphasizes knowing its customers — Smoot said he tries to learn one person’s name each day — and becoming part of the community.

“Oak Harbor is a great fit for Tractor Supply due to the horse owners and part-time and hobby farmers in the area,” said district manager Gary Vetter. “Many of our new customers are pleasantly surprised by our mix of product offerings, which in addition to farm products and hardware, also include pet food and supplies and clothing items for the entire family.”

Tractor Supply Co. describes itself as “the largest operator of rural lifestyle stores” in the U.S. It’s headquarters are located in Brentwood, Tenn. and it operates more than 1,450 retail stores in 49 states.

The company started in 1938 as a mail order catalog business that sold tractor parts. Today its annual revenues are $5.7 billion. The company’s customers are farmers, horse owners, ranchers, part-time and hobby farmers, homeowners and tradesmen.

The company has stores in Port Orchard, Puyallup, Olympia, Yelm and Monroe.