- Electronic ballot: Instructions will be emailed later today to all Owners with a valid email address on record. Look for an email entitled, “Important: Login Info for Co-op Market Board Election.” It will be sent from noreply@directvote.net. Be sure to check your spam folder, too. If you didn’t receive the email and would like to vote online, please contact Kristin Summerlin, Marketing & Owner Services Manager.
- Paper ballot: If you’d rather vote by paper ballot, they’re available in the store and are being mailed via USPS to Owners with no email address on file. If you receive a paper ballot in the mail, you can bring it to the store the next time you shop, or drop it in the mail.
Remember: Each Owner number gets only one vote, so if you share a number with other members of your household, please consult with them before voting.
Click here for more information about the election and our Board of Directors.
Our election ends and results are announced at our annual meeting on Saturday, October 20th, at JP Jones Community Center. Doors open at 3 p.m.
Are You Ready to Save? Truckload Sale This Weekend!
It’s time for our 4th Annual Truckload Sale! Time to stock up and save up to 50% off when you buy by the case! Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 19th, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 20th.
We’ll be offering cases and bags of shelf-stable pantry stockers at significant discounts. Look for great deals on dozens of items, including sustainably caught canned tuna and salmon; organic grains, beans, dried fruits and nuts; coconut and olive oil – and much more. The list of items and pricing is available here.
We’re hoping to make this year’s sale a little easier to shop, so please look for the table marked “Start Here” for instructions and a tally sheet. We’d like for you to shop with the tally sheet in hand, marking down the quantity of items you want. We’ll load your purchases up while you do your regular grocery shopping and pay inside. This should save time for everyone.
We’re celebrating our 5th birthday, so please join us for a free hot dog or veggie dog from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and free cupcakes and ice cream from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
As if that’s not enough, we’re also celebrating Owner Appreciation Days! Now thru Sunday, Owners receive 10% off all regularly priced items on one entire shopping trip. (As always, the Owner discount excludes our already deeply discounted Co+op Basics and sale items. Although we don’t stack discounts, you always automatically receive the biggest available discount.)
Please note that all sales are good while supplies last. If there’s something on the list that you really want, please be sure to get here early. Many items sell out quickly, and we cannot offer rainchecks.
Alaska from Scratch Cookbook Signing May 12th
Come to the co-op and meet Maya Wilson, Alaska food columnist and author of “The Alaska from Scratch Cookbook.” Maya will sign copies of her new book from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 12.
This is her only Fairbanks event, so mark your calendars. It’s also Mother’s Day weekend and the perfect opportunity to get a lovely Alaskan gift for somebody special.
About the Author
In 2011 Maya moved from California to Alaska and launched the food blog Alaska from Scratch — a website dedicated to beautiful, approachable recipes for home cooks, along with frequent glimpses of Alaska’s unrivaled scenery and unique lifestyle. Since then, her site has grown to be Alaska’s premier food blog, reaching a global audience in the millions each year. Maya is also a chef and food columnist for the Anchorage Daily News and lives on the Kenai Peninsula with her family.
The Alaska from Scratch Cookbook is so much more than a collection of delicious recipes with gorgeous photos. This is a cookbook well worth reading and savoring, whether you ever intend to cook the dishes or not.
“Nothing about life is perfect, and food doesn’t need to be perfect either,” Maya writes. “Food shows up in the messiness of our daily lives, grounding and sustaining us through all the moments, whether mundane or celebratory or grief-stricken. Amid the noise and chaos of the daily grind, we should be able to come to rest at the table…. I want people to feel welcome, to kick their feet up, and to have the freedom to be themselves around my food.”
Cookbooks are available for purchase at the co-op. If you’ve already picked one up, be sure to bring it back on Saturday to have it signed.
Click here for more information about Maya and Alaska from Scratch.
You Asked, We Listened: Bread & Cheese!
The results of our Shopper Survey were clear: You wanted a bigger, better, more affordable selection of breads. Cheese, too. We heard you!
We’ve added so much more bread – including lots of gluten free choices – that we had to add standalone shelves to hold it all. Here’s a list of what’s new.
BREAD
Alpine Valley Organic Bakery
- English Muffins (Original & Whole Wheat) – $2.99
- Hamburger Buns – $3.99
- Honey Sprout Bread – $3.99
- Sweet Hawaiian Rolls – $4.99
Canyon Bakehouse (Gluten-Free)
- Mountain White – $5.99
- Seven Grain – $5.99
Flax 4 Life Gluten-Free Muffins – $5.99
- Apple Cinnamon
- Blueberry
- Carrot Raisin
- Chocolate Chip
- Cranberry Orange
- Pineapple
Greenlee’s Bakery
- Cinnamon Loaf – $6.99
- Blueberry Loaf – $6.99
King’s Hawaiian
- Honey Wheat Rolls – $3.99
- Sweet Hot Dog Buns – $3.99
Rudi’s Kids Soft Bread
- White – $3.99
- Wheat – $3.99
Silver Hills Bakery
- Sprouted Ancient Grains Burger Buns – $3.99
Western Bagel 5-Packs – $2.99
- Blueberry
- Everything
- Onion
- Plain
Coming soon: Dave’s Killer White Bread Done Right
CHEESE
Beecher’s
- New Woman with Jamaican jerk seasoning
- Marco Polo with cracked green & black peppercorns
- Fresh Curds with Herbs
BelGioso
- Burrata Balls
- Burrata with Black Truffles
- Mascarpone Mini Cups
- Cacique Cotija Queso
Coming soon:
Wood River Creamery
- Cheddar with Roasted Pepper & Peppercorns
- Cheddar with Black Truffles
- Cheddar with Chipotle Garlic
Listening Sessions: You Can Help Us Plan for the Future
What do you value about your co-op? When you think about Co-op Market in five years, what do you envision? If you shop at the co-op, our board of directors and management want to hear from you.
Our doors have been open for five years now! Before that we spent six years preparing to open.
Since opening we’ve grown from $2.5 million to almost $4 million in annual sales.
We work with 52 local vendors and are looking for more.
We opened our doors because of you. More than 115 co-op Owners made loans to help us open, and more than 3,700 Owners have invested in our co-op through member equity.
We will be paying back loans for a few more years, so it isn’t quite time to begin planning for expansion. But now is the time for the board and management to start working on a five- to 10-year strategic plan.
Your input will help us hammer out our core values and craft a shared vision. You can help create the framework for making important decisions about our co-op’s future.
As part of its strategic planning process, the board is hosting a series of listening sessions. Please join us on one of the following dates for good food and conversation about the future of your co-op.
• Sunday, April 22, 5 to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, June 5, 4 to 7 p.m. (Postponed. New date to be announced.)
• Tuesday, July 31, 1 to 4 p.m
All sessions will be held at JP Jones Community Development Center, 2400 Rickert Street.
For more information on the listening sessions and strategic planning process, please email Anduin McElroy, board chair, or Mary Christensen, general manager.
Everyone is welcome!
Shopper Survey Results Are In!
Our Shopper Survey results are in! Thank you to all who took the time to answer our questions. Your feedback will guide management, staff and our board of directors in our day-to-day work and as we plan for the future.
What did we learn? Perhaps the most important takeaway is how deeply you care about your co-op.
In total, 463 people started the survey, and 89% completed it. (Because of its length – 40 questions – Survey Monkey had projected a completion rate of just 53 percent.) Most people will drop out if a survey takes more than 5-10 minutes, so we were impressed that you spent an average of 18 minutes on ours.
And you didn’t just tick off the boxes. You took the time to include approximately 600 comments: praise, constructive criticism, suggestions and questions. We’ll be studying these in depth to glean more insight into how we can better meet your needs.
Click here for a preliminary survey report, including charts and graphs. Here are a few key findings.
• Cooperation Matters – Three quarters of our respondents said the fact that we’re a co-op influences their decision to shop with us. 66% of our survey takers are Owners, and of those, 43% are long-time Owners (since the beginning or when the store opened in 2013). The top three reasons Owners cited for investing in the store are 1) to support local farmers and producers, 2) to support the local economy, and 3) belief in the co-op’s mission and values.
• Store Satisfaction Is High – Results show that 98% of respondents are satisfied with the store overall, with 59% “extremely satisfied.” And 98% would recommend us to friends and colleagues, with 82% “highly likely” to recommend. Our shoppers are happiest with our Bulk Foods, Produce and Wellness departments, and would like to see improvement in our Bread & Baked Goods, Deli, Cheese and Meat departments.
• Why Shop the Co-op? – The top three reasons for shopping at the co-op are 1) to support local growers and producers, 2) to support good health and nutrition, and 3) to buy high quality organic foods. This is consistent with our mission and values of supporting good health by providing natural foods & products and promoting sustainability by supporting our local farmers & producers.
(We were delighted to see that our “courteous and friendly staff” came in as the fourth highest reason!)
• Pricing Concerns – While 75% find our prices to be either excellent or satisfactory, 15% rated them poor. We definitely need to do a better job of communicating about our many discount programs, including Co+op Basics, Co+op Deals and Owner Deals. We were surprised to see large percentages of respondents said they don’t know about (or don’t use) these benefits.
Our buyers have already begun working on several pricing strategies, including regular comparison shopping. We will continue to work hard to provide the highest quality food at the best possible prices, while also balancing the needs of the store (paying our bills, creating a great work environment with decent wages, offering services to our Owners and the community, and becoming profitable).
• We’re Not a One-Stop Shop (Yet) – 75% of respondents said they buy 25% or less of their groceries from the co-op, while only 3% said they buy almost everything here. We recognize that we are a small store and cannot carry every possible product choice, but we’ll be digging into your comments to find out what you always purchase elsewhere and why. If we can bring in new products or improve the quality of what we can, we will continue to do that.
Again, thank you to everyone who offered your feedback and suggestions. We are inspired by you!
Congratulations to the three survey takers who each won $100 in Co-op Cash: Paula Kunkel, Julianne Warren and Molly Lemen!
Want to win $100 in Co-op Cash? Take our shopper survey!
Give us your opinions and 20 minutes of your time, and we’ll give you a chance to win one of three $100 Co-op Cash gift certificates!
It’s hard to believe, but 2018 marks our 5th year in business. Now that we’ve reached this milestone, we want to know what you think: What are we doing well? How can we improve?
We’re conducting our first shopper survey since the store opened because we want (and need) your feedback. We’ll use your answers to guide our operations and strategic planning for the coming years.
We’ll ask about your shopping patterns and your satisfaction with the co-op. There’s also a section specifically for Owners and a series of demographic questions that are entirely voluntary. Most questions have space for your comments, too.
We value everyone’s input, so this survey is open to all shoppers.
Click here to take our shopper survey.
The survey will be open through February 18th.
Worried about Sam’s Club closing? We can help.
With the announcement that Sam’s Club will close its doors at the end of the month, many people are worried about the negative impact on restaurants and small businesses in our community. We understand the concern and know this will affect not only restaurants and businesses, but also people with large families, those who live in the Bush, and many military families.
We can help.
Special Order Discounts
You probably already know that you can save money by shopping in our Bulk Foods aisle. But did you know that you can get a discount when you order staples in bulk or cases of the groceries on our shelves? Owners receive a 10% discount on special orders, but anyone can place a special order and receive a 5% discount. (These discounts apply to non-sale items.)
Stretching Co+op Deals Sales
If you’re familiar with our twice-monthly Co+op Deals flyer, you know that these sales represent significant savings. Did you know you can special order cases of these items anytime during the flyer period and receive the sale price, no matter when the product actually arrives in the store? This is a great way to take advantage of special pricing to stretch your grocery budget.
Case Pricing on Overstock
From time to time, we do find ourselves with overstock. We will offer case pricing on these items, while supplies last. Look for them on the back endcap near the dairy products. (We’re setting it up with some Bob’s Red Mill products later today.)
Business Accounts
If you’re a fully invested co-op Owner who also owns a small business or restaurant, we can help you source high quality organic and natural products for use in your business. We can offer bulk bags or cases of products, including fresh produce, at our cost, including shipping, plus 20%. If you purchase items for your business from our shelves (rather than ordering by the case), we offer a 10% discount.
This offer is only extended to licensed businesses that use the products for resale. Eligible businesses include small restaurants, bed & breakfasts, inns and tour operators – any small business that purchases groceries for large groups of people. (Business discounts only apply to groceries used for business. Family groceries must be purchased at our regular prices.)
You can find our business account application here.
We do understand the gap Sam’s Club’s closing creates. We also see it as an opportunity to do more for our community. We’re exploring ways to offer even more savings and benefits to bridge that gap. And because we’re a community-owned grocery store, we don’t have outside shareholders who would rather close a store to maximize profit at the expense of community. We belong to you, and we’re here to stay!
P.S. Don’t forget our annual Truckload Sale in May! We expect this year’s sale to be even bigger and better than ever!
Ho Ho Ho! It’s BOGO Week!
No matter which holidays you celebrate – or even if you don’t – we’ve got some jolly good deals for you this week!
First up: BOGOs! We’ve got a new Buy One Get One deal for you every day:
• Monday: Holiday Cookies & Candies – Have you seen the Bissinger’s Chocolate Mice Ornaments? Or the Nirvana White Chocolate Snowmen? Or the Truffle Pig chocolate truffles? Ohmygoodness!
• Tuesday: Alaffia Mini Market Baskets (reg. $17.99) – Handmade in Ghana from sustainable grasses, these brightly colored Fair Trade baskets are the perfect size for gift giving.
• Wednesday: Cacoco Drinking Chocolate (reg. $11.99) – So good, you can make it with water and never miss the dairy. Cacoco harvests heirloom cacao from organic and regenerative farms in Ecuador and combines it with superfood herbs and spices. The only problem is choosing which one to try first: The Original, Fire Walker, Global Warrior or Midnight Mystic.
• Thursday: Butter & Non-Dairy Spreads (limit 1 case) – Just in time for your holiday baking! (Put some in the freezer, too.)
• Friday: Eggnog & Non-Dairy Nogs (limit 1 case) – ‘Tis the season for the nog! We wish it lasted just a little longer…
• Saturday: Willamette Valley Pies – Real artisan-made pies from Oregon, with clean ingredients. These are big pies: 40 ounces! We’ve got Pumpkin Chiffon, Marionberry and Pecan pies ready for your holiday table.
But that’s not all!
In the Produce Department, look for 20% off select organic citrus:
• Ruby Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Cara Cara Oranges
• Navel Oranges
• Satsumas
Looking for a stocking stuffer? How about giving the gift of co-op? Now thru the 24th, buy a $100 gift certificate for them and get $10 off your own groceries.
Merry merry!
Owners: Vote Now for 2018 Lend a Hand Recipients
It’s time for our Owners to select our nonprofit recipients of next year’s Lend a Hand register round-ups.
For 2018, we have 22 applicants. Half of them have never received Lend a Hand donations. We invite our Owners to select 11 of these nonprofits for our monthly round-ups. (December is reserved for collecting necessities for the shelter residents at the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living.)
Please review the applications linked below before completing the Lend a Hand selection survey, located here. You can also review our charitable donation guidelines here. Asterisks indicate organizations that have not previously benefited from Lend a Hand. To view prior years’ totals, click here.
• Calypso Farm & Ecology Center
• Fairbanks Animal Shelter Fund
• Fairbanks Community Food Bank
• Fairbanks Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels*
• Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival*
• Georgeson Botanical Garden Society
• Green Star of Interior Alaska
• Inspiring Girls Expeditions*
• North Star Imagination Library
