Thank you to everyone who participated in our shopper survey this past February and March. It has been such a strange year and we have been eager to hear how the Co-op is meeting your needs. We received 941 responses and approximately 95% of respondents indicated they were member-owners, equal to about 9% of all members. Since our survey did not use random sampling, it should not be considered scientific.

It was great to see that the average ratings were up in virtually every category. The ratings exceeded our benchmark of a 3.5 average (on a 5-point Likert scale with 5 = “very well” and 1 = “poorly”) across the board, including prices for the first time.

With a 4.8 score for our overall Covid-19 response efforts, survey respondents were appreciative of the measures we have taken over the past year to keep everyone safe.

Respondents reported a relatively high level of satisfaction with virtually all aspects of our operations regarding store characteristics, products, and service. Specifically, in the category of “How well are we meeting your needs?”, the Co-op received an average rating of 4.6 for “Overall Store,” 4.5 for “Overall Products,” and 4.6 for “Overall Service”.

Responses to our mission and values-based satisfaction questions were also favorable and improved from prior years. Shoppers gave an average rating of 4.7 to the question “How likely are you to recommend Hunger Mountain Cooperative to a friend or a colleague?” and 94% said they were likely or highly likely to recommend the Co-op.

We received hundreds of suggestions for future Give Change recipients with Vermont Foodbank, local food pantries and the Humane Society being the most frequent. Below is a word cloud that represents the relative frequency of responses.

We also received nearly 500 responses to our open-ended ask for suggestions. We appreciate that respondents took the time to share this additional feedback with us. These comments have been reviewed and shared with the Co-op staff and council.

Thanks again for participating in this year’s shopper survey. Your feedback helps us understand how well we are serving our community and it will inform our plans to do better.

Thank you!
Kari Bradley, General Manager