Grocery

Customer Question: Whither Manghi’s Dilly Bread? We almost never have it on the shelf. I’ve begged Manghi’s to bring more of it and to bring it more often…to no avail. Help?
Co-op Answer: Thank you for your input! I will certainly pass along your request to Manghi’s. We give our bakeries autonomy over the shelves in our store and don’t dictate what they carry. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Why do you carry ice cream made in California but not Ben and Jerry’s. Don’t you realize how much energy it takes to ship ice cream across the country? Do you care about energy waste?
A: Thank you for your input! I definitely appreciate your concerns around energy waste and that is actually a a component of evaluation for products we carry. I do not believe that Ben and Jerry’s is a good fit for our store as it is widely available at many conventional stores in Montpelier. We also carry several wonderful local ice cream brands including Strafford, Sweet Doe and Kingdom Creamery. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please restock So Delicious coconut ice cream – it’s the only vanilla that’s sugar-free.
A: Thank you for your input! It looks like this product was out of stock from our distributor for about a month. However, it is back in stock now! -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please carry super firm tofu! Thanks.
A: Thank you for your input! Are you referring to the Nasoya pre-cubed super firm tofu? T his is the only item I could find that matched this description. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Can you invest in pretzel style hamburger buns?
A: Thank you for your input! I don’t know of anyone currently producing these but I will reach out to our bakeries to see if this is a possibility. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: What happened to the large refill bottles of Method shower cleaner?
A: Thank you for your input! Unfortunately, the Method shower refill was discontinued by our distributor in April and so we are no longer able to carry this product. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Strongly suggest adding Brami Snacks – Lupini Beans!
A: Thank you for your input! We actually began carrying this product in early November. You can find it in our cracker aisle. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please get Rise Up Bakery bread – it’s great!
A: Thank you for your input! I really love this bakery and I am so excited they have opened in Barre. Unfortunately, our bread selection is overly full already with most of current vendors looking for more space. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Please carry super firm tofu, thanks.
A: Thank you for your input! the only item I could find that matched that description. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Q: Why carry Mrs. Meyers that contains fragrance which usually means undisclosed toxic chemicals. Thanks. EWG has more info.
A: Thank you for your input! Mrs. Meyers products in the cleaning department do meet our standards for clean ingredients, but I will certainly consider this when we next review these categories in the early spring. -Olivia, Grocery Buyer

Food Services

Q: Is it possible to sell the GMT dressing from the hot bar? I love it and my attempts to make it just aren’t the same! Thanks!
A: Yes, we are looking at vessels to package and sell our dressings in the grab and go. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please carry gnocchi more often. It’s amazing.
A: Will do! -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: Please carry tomato soup more.
A: In the retail grab and go area or hot on the bar? -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: I bought Applegate Roast Turkey on 12/28/19. Instead of nice slices, which I usually get, it was just snippets and leftovers. Very disappointing!
A: Was this in the ends and pieces section? If not, I would like to offer some on us as this is not what we want to do either. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Q: No scones!
A: What time of day was it? I want to make sure that your expectations are in line with our processes. Please come see me in the deli. -Doug, Prepared Foods Manager

Wellness

Q: Do you, could you carry unscented witch hazel? Thanks!
A: We will look to bring this product in. Thanks for the suggestion. -Laura, Wellness Manager

Q: Whole milk strawberry flavored BioK probiotics. Tastes fantastic. Can you get it?
A: Great suggestion! Space is at a premium for this category. We are reviewing this area and looking to make room. Stay tuned. -Laura, Wellness Manager

Q: Stinkbug deodorant brand.
A: This sounds like a great product. Unfortunately, it is not available through any of our distributors at this time. -Laura, Wellness Manager

Q: Could the Co-op use a “Smart Pay” card like Cumberland Farms has for gas? It’s linked to your checking account, like a debit card, but with the middle “man” thus saving $ for both CF and the customer.
A: Our point of sale does not support direct ACH payments. Would be nice though. -Ravi, General Manager

General

Q: Everyone has extra reusable bags at home, but sometimes you forget them. Idea – bag share program which could be a box of reusable bags where people put their extra bags to be used when they or other members forget them. Could cut down on paper bag usage.
A: Great idea! We actually do have a bag rack (located near the registers, above the ice cooler) where folks can take/leave a bag. Thanks! -Emma, Customer Service Rep

Q: Please keep the bike rack clean like you do the sidewalks/paths. It ices over and gets dangerously slippery.
A: We are on it, thanks! -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: Hand soap foamer – saves a lot of soap (expense). Chalk board at EV charger for electric vehicle owners communication very helpful. [email protected]
A: I am going to reach out to you directly to get more information about your requests. -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: The wonderful car charger is hard to use because the cable sticks in its plastic receptacle. Assume this would be inexpensive and easy to fix.
A: Yes, we are working with the company to resolve the issue. Thanks for letting us know. -Mary, Facilities Manager

Q: I believe the Co-op should not carry products that contain palm oil. Even RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certified palm oil can’t be trusted (https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/certified-sustainable-palm-oil-is-a-con-says-greenpeace-as-new-evidence-links-certifying-body-to-five-years-of-fires-across-indonesia/). Organic palm oil is not OK either – producers clear rain forests or burn them (and peat lands) then grow organically.
A: Sorry for the delayed response. We share your understanding that palm oil is environmentally problematic and that these is not a truly sustainable form. Unfortunately, palm oil is pervasive in shelf stable baked goods and chips. We do our best to limit the amount we carry and avoid new products. I will write about this in our newsletter. -Kari, General Manager

Q: Thank you! Your staff is wonderful!
A: Thank you. We’re happy you think so. -Kari, General Manager