Thank you
Q: I cannot thank you enough for putting the safety & health of your customers & staff ahead of every other concern. You are showing leadership by example during a difficult time.
A: Thank you for your kind words and gratitude! Take the best care, Liz Hawley, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Tricky avocados
Q: Love your store and all that you do for the community, especially during these difficult times.
We wanted to share some quick feedback from recent experience buying avocados at the Willy Street West store. We bought five avocados 3 weeks back, and they never ripened properly. The flesh stayed rubbery and hard, and never developed a creamy / mashable texture.
We had the same problem again last week.
We have bought avocados at other local stores this season without any trouble (Trader Joe’s, Regent, Hyvee, Whole Foods).
We just want to report this because it seems like it might be a supply chain: this can happen if avocados are harvested too early. Thanks!
A: Thanks for the comment! You are absolutely right, the quality of some of our avocados has been suffering recently. I can give you some backstory, and also a promise that things will get better soon!
Last fall, we made a commitment to switch our avocado supply to Fairtrade sourcing through Equal Exchange Co-op. At that point in time, the Mexican avocado season was just starting up, and Equal Exchange was procuring some really high-quality Mexican avocados that were certified Fairtrade under the international Fairtrade mark (which is known for being the best around.) We had a great run with these avocados through the winter, but about a month ago, the Mexican season ended, and Equal Exchange moved on to avocados from their partner grower co-ops in Peru. We were very hopeful that we would be able to continue to offer Fairtrade avocados from Peru, but unfortunately, as you noticed, the quality of the fruit just isn’t up to our standards. They don’t ripen quite like we would expect, and have a grassy flavor and rubbery texture.
We did our best to work with the Peruvian avocados, trying different ripening techniques, but last week, we made the hard decision to switch our procurement away from the Fairtrade Peruvian avocados for the summer and back to avocados that are not certified Fairtrade from Mexico, and hopefully also some California avocados, which can be harder to come by and a bit more expensive, but they have excellent flavor and ripening qualities.
We plan to get back to Fairtrade avocados as soon as the Mexican season starts back up in the fall.
It may take a week or two to completely switch what is on our shelves, but it is our intention to move away from the Peruvian fruit, for all of the reasons you have called out.
Thanks again for writing. I certainly appreciate the feedback, and I apologize for the sub-par avocados that you purchased with us. All the Best, Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
House label supplements
Q: I have a question about the Willy St Coop Vitamins and Supplements. I can’t find anything on the bottle that indicates where they are made. (Just that they are “manufactured for” Willy St.) Could you tell me where they are produced?
A: Thank you for writing. Our private label Vitamins & Supplements are made by a company called Vitamer Labs. They are based in California and source ingredients from all over the world. I believe the majority of their final products come out of their Irvine, California facility; I know they also have a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I hope that helps, thank you so much! –Angela Pohlman, Category Manager—Wellness
Masks in cars?
Q: Would it also require a mask if you are in a car while groceries are being loaded in the trunk of my car? I am not sure if this would be an issue as in the past the trunk has been opened before the employee puts the groceries in the trunk and then the employee closes the trunk. I don’t mind if I do have to wear a mask but thought I would ask the question as there may be others with the same scenario that would ask.
A: Thanks for asking, we have been thinking that this question would come up! We would prefer that customers wear a face covering whenever they interact with us. However, if our interaction is brief and you do not leave your vehicle (preferably keeping your window closed), we will not refuse service to you. Please let us know if you have any other questions, and be well! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Thanks for requiring masks
Q: I’m glad to hear the decision to require customers to wear masks and fully support this decision. Many people are understandably tired of wearing masks and can lose sight of the intent: to protect others. Thanks for your continued vigilance on all our behalf’s - Especially at risk workers.
A: Thank you for your support of our policy! Take the best care, Liz Hawley, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Senior hours
Q: I cannot find this information on the website. Do you have shopping times for seniors? I assume you do not have pick up service, but just double-checking. Thank you!
A: We do have shopping times for seniors until 10:00am every day. We open at West at 8:00am. We also have a delivery and pickup service at shop.willystreet.coop. You can find full details about our COVID-19/Coronavirus measures here: www.willystreet.coop/coronavirus. I hope this message finds you well. Take care! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Bakery and breads
Q: I was at the East store yesterday evening (4/19) and noticed that there were no Co-op produced cookies, brownies, bars, quick breads, muffins, cake or pie slices on display. Just out of stock after a busy weekend, or no longer being produced? Temporarily in either case, I hope!
I asked a cashier but all she could tell me was that she thought she’d seen an e-mail about it that she hadn’t read. Nothing on the Co-op website, nothing on the “News” blog, nothing on the Co-op’s Facebook page. What’s the story? And when will the Co-op produced, locally baked treats return?
A: Back in April, our production kitchen was temporarily closed. Due to COVID-19 and low prepared foods sales, it made more sense to offer work to our kitchen employees at our retail locations where they could support our pickup and delivery program. We have brought back some of our baked goods since the kitchen re-opened, and I hope you have been able to find them! Thanks for writing and if you have other questions, please let us know! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Hand hygiene
Q: Omg, I can’t believe I’ve become someone that writes to the letters to the editors. I should have said something, but I’ve now had 2 experiences during this pandemic that I feel require feedback. I’ve had 2 different cashiers wearing gloves during the checkout process. However, both times, the gloves weren’t changed in between customers or after the cashier wiped down the checkout area with disinfectant and a towel. While gloves seem like they would offer protection, they often serve as a vector if not used appropriately. If a cashier elects to wear gloves, they should be removed, hand hygiene performed, and a new pair donned between each customer interaction. Alternatively, just using hand sanitizer between customer interactions would work just as well. Thanks, a public health nurse
A: Thanks for the feedback and for your patience. I’m sorry it took so long for you to receive a response. Our glove policy for employees who are not responsible for food preparation has been vetted by Public Health Madison and Dane County and requires non-food prep employees who opt to wear gloves to change them when:
• changing working locations within the site
• transitioning to or from bagging groceries while not assigned to a register lane
• following the performance of any cleaning tasks
• going on break or clocking-out
• returning from break
• after using the restroom
• and whenever an employee needs to wash hands or use hand sanitizer
We agree that the cashiers who opted to wear gloves should have changed them after wiping down the checkout area with disinfectant and a towel. I have passed your feedback on to our managers in the Front End to serve as a reminder to employees to change gloves in accordance with policy. I appreciate your bringing this to our attention. Please let us know if there is anything else we may do for you! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
One-way aisles?
Q: Since the Coronavirus crisis, I have shopped only once, quickly, for three items. I greatly appreciated the fact that masks are required and that an employee stationed outside was limiting the number of shoppers inside at one time. I appreciated the plexiglass barriers for checkout staff. But I was terrified of other shoppers who seemed to be on automatic pilot, totally focused on a list they carried in hand or in mind, oblivious to distance, pirouetting the cart in the middle of an aisle to abruptly come toward me when I had been following, forcing me to attempt to turn aside and head straight into someone else’s path.
Would it be possible to ask that shoppers move through the aisles clockwise? It takes more patience and planning, but that’s what this crisis is all about.
A: Thanks for the suggestion, and I apologize for taking so long to circle back to you. We have discussed one way aisles several times in recent months and do not believe this will work at our locations. What we have learned from others is that one-ways, even in stores larger than ours with longer aisles, are confusing and do not necessarily work well. In some cases, we’ve heard they cause customers to spend longer times in the store, due to confusion or the need to take longer routes to double back if they forgot something. We have also heard that in smaller stores like West, and even stores as large as North, one ways have created more bottlenecks. We are finding more success reducing bottlenecks and getting customers through the store quickly by working with our door monitors who are counting people in to watch the volume of customers in Produce (where people first enter the store) to manage how many people walk in at one time; and then letting customers do their shopping without a very strict route. That said, if you happen to notice another customer is too close to you, you may want to let them know. Sometimes a simple reminder can go a long way. Thanks for writing and I hope this message meets you in good health. -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Donations
Q: We’re very disappointed to learn that our Co-op is spearheading an effort to collect donations for Freedom Inc. Are you supporting the defunding of the police, as well? I’d hate to see how that would turn out for the co-op and the community. Why can’t you just let us do our own donating, instead of alienating people who have more conservative social values? You’re just making it harder for some of us to support you and our local farmers and vendors.
A: I’ve shared your message and my response with our Board President Jeannine Bindl and Vice President Ann Hoyt as well as our General Manager Anya Firszt.
Thanks for asking and for sharing Daniel Bice’s opinion piece from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Tone Madison published a local refute of the ideas he posed at www.tonemadison.com/articles/guest-column-freedom-inc-faces-down-racist-media-narratives if you are interested in another perspective.
We do support Freedom, Inc., and we have supported them for years via their membership in Community Shares of Wisconsin and their Community CHIP program. We also support our communities asking for police accountability and to consider the reallocation of public funding to other services or means to address and meet public safety needs. As a business rooted in the alternative share model of cooperation, we are part of a rich history of people asking for, and consistently seeking, better ways of doing things. The Cooperative Principles also require us to recognize the autonomy and independence not only of our organization to act in its best interests, but of others to act in theirs. We are proud to back Freedom, Inc.’s demand for the autonomy and independence of black, brown, and indigenous people, and it’s high time that our public officials hear them out.
You are not required to donate to the causes we support at the registers; your charitable giving as well as the stores you choose to support are optional. It’s rare to find any organization or business out there that stands for everything one may personally believe in or subscribe to, and we understand that there is always a personal balance individuals need to strike with regard to their purchasing choices and purchasing power. If you have questions about the kind of business you are supporting when you shop at Willy Street Co-op, you may be interested in reading Bylaws Section II: Purpose and our Ends Policy at www.willystreet.coop/about-us/co-op-governance. -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Thanks for the kindness
Q: Hi there! I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kindness you guys showed me. I got caught in a storm and I was taking shelter right next to the compost dumpster, and one of your employees (which I regretfully did not get the name of) brought me an umbrella and took me inside the store. He could have easily asked me to leave, but he showed me true compassion by not even second guessing my intentions. And after I came into the store, you guys allowed me to stay in the closed off common area while the storm passed. I really truly appreciate giving me shelter during the thunderstorm and I hope this is someway of expressing thanks!
A: Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, we are so grateful to the employee who supported you and showed you this kindness. Good health to you and enjoy the day! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Face coverings
Q: I am writing regarding the email sent on Friday June 26th saying face coverings will be required as of Saturday the 27th. I am very disappointed the Coop has made this decision and gave no time for anyone to prepare. We are in the midst of fighting for freedom and equalities at this very moment, and the coop of all places was one I thought wouldn’t mandate and take any freedoms or equalities away from their community members. No human being should ever be mandated to cover their face. Life comes with risk, we take risk in almost everything we do. The coop has done an excellent job with the changes in recent shopping experiences and my family has thrived with the quality of food we can purchase from you. I will not shop anywhere I am required to cover my face and am saddened my children are growing up in a world where businesses dictate our freedoms and equalities. I ask that the board reconsider forcing customers to wear face coverings, especially in light of recent events where we are all fighting so hard for freedom, equality and equity. Thank you.
A: Workplace policies like these are implemented by operating staff, per the Board’s broad governance guidelines. I have shared your message and my response with Board President Jeannine Bindl, Vice President Ann Hoyt, and General Manager Anya Firszt.
We’re sorry the notice regarding requiring face coverings was short, however we have been encouraging customers to wear face coverings since April when the CDC started providing guidance to do so. We do have disposable paper masks available for those without a face covering, and so we did not feel that customers had to worry about being unprepared. I know you in particular wrote us in early June to thank us for not requiring face coverings, but unfortunately as the summer has gone on, fewer and fewer people have been wearing them, which made for unsafe conditions for our employees. Asking customers to wear a face covering while shopping our stores for 10-60 minutes to protect our employees is not a violation of anyone’s freedom, customers have the freedom to decide whether they will enter any business based on any of their policies. We are also willing to make accommodations for those who have a medical reason to refrain from wearing a face covering if necessary. Take care. -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Mask policy
Q: Your new mask policy is extremely disappointing!!! You are decreasing the health of all those you shop at Willy Street Coop by reducing the oxygen in their bodies! OSHA regulations are being violated by your workers already (see attached video for test results of wearing masks impact on oxygen https://youtu.be/cXQM09Ayn5M ; drops below OSHA safety standards in seconds). Lawsuits waiting to happen! And another test http://153news.net/watch_video.php?v=S2DHYM58ON24
Sold my Costco stock and stopped shopping there when they implemented their mask policy at the detriment to the overall health of their shoppers. Will shop somewhere else until your policy is updated as well. You should look up how much I used to spend at Willy Street! I thought you guys had a higher education on health and genetics. So sad.
A: We’re sorry to hear that you are disappointed that we are requiring face coverings for everyone at the Co-op but we disagree with your interpretation of OSHA’s guidance. From the exact same OSHA link under the question heading “Should workers wear a cloth face covering while at work, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation for all people to do so when in public? OSHA generally recommends that employers encourage workers to wear face coverings at work. Face coverings are intended to prevent wearers who have Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) without knowing it (i.e., those who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic) from spreading potentially infectious respiratory droplets to others. This is known as source control.” The link also says “This guidance is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations.” We are confident in the research we have done and our choice to adopt public health guidelines in our workplace and retail locations and our employees’ union also endorses this approach. Take care. -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Mask requirement
Q: I have received your message about requiring face masks in store/on premises and I want to inform you that I will refrain from shopping at Willy Street while this rule is in place. I am a member but will not be sharing that info. Fear based living is an approach I refuse to participate in. When we start to participate in the thinking of blaming others for causing an illness we have gone to far. Illness is Natures way of reminding us that we are not in control. I shop at Willy Street because I believe in Health as the way of Medical care/disease prevention. Wearing a mask regularly contributes to CO2 poisoning and other health issues. Fear is causing significant harm to our community.
Warmly, a disappointed customer
A: Thanks for the feedback, and we’re sorry to hear we won’t be seeing you soon. We don’t see asking customers to wear a face covering while shopping as based in fear, but rather as a means to better empower our employees and customers to be in public settings like grocery stores where social distancing to prevent the spread of a communicable disease can be challenging to maintain. We do not blame anyone for COVID-19, and our adoption of public health guidelines is absolutely a reflection of our commitment to health, doing our best to reduce potential for harm to our employees and customers. -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director