Sales Cycles
Q: Can you tell me when your sale cycles start and stop? Possibly you do not have weekly cycles like that. I like to save on things like Siggis yogurt and might want to. come in twice during the cycle to buy it. And it will help when looking online when trying to save a bit on things I get often. Thank you so much.
A: Thanks for the great question! We have several different promotional cycles:
Co+op Deals are sales that are open to Owners and non-owners. They run on a two week (sometimes three week) schedule starting on Wednesdays and ending on Tuesdays. These represent the majority of our grocery and wellness promotions.
Owner Rewards are sales that are open to Owners only. These are weekly, and run Monday through Sunday. All of our Produce sales, and most of our other fresh department sales are Owner Rewards, along with some from other departments.
You will also notice Co+op Basics signs on some products in our stores. These are everyday low prices that are not on any schedule. Co+op Basics prices and products do change, but not very often.
For both Co+op Deals and Owner Rewards you can find the dates of the sale listed on the signs so you'll know when they end.
I hope that's helpful! Best, Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Gift Certificates
Q: Hi, I’d like to order a gift certificate for $100 for a friend who shops your store weekly. Can I do that over the phone and have it mailed to me?
A: What a thoughtful idea! We definitely sell gift cards, and you can find out how to purchase one over the phone and have it mailed to you at www.willystreet.coop/promotions/gift-cards. Thanks for thinking of us! -Kirsten Moore, Cooperative Services Director
Las Diosas
Q: You used to carry Just Coffee's Las Diosas but stopped when Just Coffee had a supply issue for the Las Diosas co-op when a virus struck the crop. But Just Coffee is back to stocking it online. Could you bring it back to the Willy Street Coop, please? I really, really miss it but don't want to incur the carbon cost of ordering it by mail from Just Coffee when I could just walk to Willy East.
A: Thank you for your comments and question. I will check in with our Just Coffee rep and see if we can get it back in. It was a pretty popular product, so it would be nice to have it on the shelf again. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention! It is always good to hear what people are looking for us to carry. -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Thank You
Q: I went to pick out meat for Christmas today. Angelo is always so helpful, personal and friendly. Today he went beyond and spent time with me explaining the cut of meat and how to grill it. He is a significant asset to Willy Street East. It is always a pleasure to shop at the Coop and we appreciate all Angelo does for us.
A: Thank you so much for taking the time to write in about your experience with Angelo. I agree wholeheartedly that he is an asset to our Meat department. His knowledge about his department is priceless and his customer service is outstanding. I have shared this comment with him and his Director. Thanks again and have a beautiful holiday. -Amanda Ikens, Owner Resources Coordinator
De-icing Salt
Q: Just stopped in today, and there had been snowfall overnight. I was disappointed to see liberal use of salt/chemicals (blue stuff) all around the entrance. With the warm temperature today, I don't understand why it was applied. Please use such stuff judiciously both in terms of when to use and where it is really needed (not under overhangs where the pavement is dry). Thank you. I am sure we all care about our waterways.
A: Thank you for your customer comment and bringing the issue you noted to our attention. I have copied your comment at the bottom of this email for reference.
A few things to note about snow and ice removal at Willy East:
- Our staff are not responsible for all of the snow and ice removal at the site. It is primarily handled by a snow plowing/shoveling service we have contracted with to deal with snow and ice during early morning and late hours and sometimes during open hours, during ongoing snow events. Part of their responsibility is to apply ice melter on the parking lot and sidewalks.
- Ice melter is applied by the snow removal service to provide safe access to/from the parking lot and to/from the store for customers, vendors, and staff. It is applied to reduce or eliminate slip and fall injuries to customers, vendors, and staff, as well as preventing liability issues for their business and ours.
- Even though outdoor temps can be above freezing during the day in winter, the service mainly works on snow removal at night or very early in the morning when outdoor temperatures are frequently below freezing. This is why they needed to apply ice melter on Monday morning to ensure the safety concerns mentioned above.
The snow removal service has been instructed not to use a heavy-handed application of ice melter and we have been informed by the owner of the company and the manager of the snow removal crew that their managers and route leaders have attended and have been certified through the City of Madison Winter Salt Certification training. (www.cityofmadison.com/live-work/sustainability/winter-salt-certification)
The snow removal service is also aware of our desire to have “alternative” removal methods used (such as hand shoveling and hand scraping of ice) rather than heavy or unnecessary application of ice melter.
I did visit the site on Monday evening after seeing your customer comment and noted at least a couple of spots near the front of the store where the service applied way too much ice melter. I reached out to the manager of the snow removal crew and this is his emailed response:
“Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention.
“All of the management here are Salt Wise Certified, we are concerned about safe and efficient salt applications especially with our customers located on the isthmus and near the lakes.
“We will stress again with crews the importance of spreading de-ice applications and using safe amounts. We do have some new staff with us this year and I greatly appreciate your patience!”
I hope this addresses your concern. -Jim Jirous, Facilities Director
Storing Ginger
Q: Your article in the most recent WSC Reader, regarding turmeric and ginger, leaves me with a question—maybe you can answer. What is the best way to store/preserve remaining ginger once a bit has been cut off? Thank you.
A: The best way to store both ginger and turmeric is simply in an airtight plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If you've cut a bit off, the "cut" generally dries and heals itself without any issue. Sometimes a bit of mold can develop on the area that's been exposed, but you can usually just cut that out and use the rest of the root without any problem. I've kept fresh ginger in my fridge for up to a month this way. I hope that's helpful! Best, Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director
Banana Bread
Q: Thank you so much for your banana bread! It is nutrient dense (and calorie dense, in a good way). Bananas are great for lowering blood pressure. This makes it the perfect food for long runs, both before the workout and mid-workout.
The co-op has been great for pursuing my fitness goals and keeping my family healthy. Thank you!
A: I shared your comments with the bakers at our Production Kitchen. I am so glad you enjoy the banana bread, and I am so happy to hear that we can help you out with your goals. The banana bread is surely a staff favorite! I hope this message finds you well. -Amanda Ikens, Owner Resources Coordinator
Plant-Based Yogurt
Q: Hi. I’m looking for healthier plant-based milk/yogurt options. I’ve noticed that most brands have emulsifiers and other ingredients (like guar gum and locust bean gum) that are not necessarily healthy ingredients to ingest. my body does not process dairy. Do you carry any products that don’t contain these preservatives? Thank you!!!!
A: Thank you for your comments and question! It is pretty difficult to find a plant-based milk or yogurt that does not have some type of filler and/or thickening agent. I did some research online and here are the products we carry that I think fit this description:
- Cocoyo Living Coconut Yogurt, 8 oz. Sold at all of our stores.
- Siggi's Non Dairy Vanilla Yogurt 24 oz. Sold at Willy East and Willy West.
- Nancy’s Plain Oatmilk Yogurt, 24 oz. Sold at all of our stores.
- Malk Unsweetened Almond Milk, 28 oz. Sold at all of our stores.
- Forager Project Unsweetened Organic Oatmilk, 48 oz. Sold at all of our stores.
- Forager Project Unsweetened Cashew Milk, 48 oz. Sold at all of our stores.
There may be more products we have that work okay for you, but ingredients change from time to time, so please make sure to read their labels first.
I appreciate you reaching out to let us know what you are looking for when you shop! -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Article Feedback
Q: Mr. Gricevich, it's always a good issue of the Coop's The Reader when it includes one of your smoothly composed and highly readable articles. I appreciated your contributions to both the Dec. 2021 and January 2022 issues. I appreciate the elegance of your clear writing when you produce articles dealing with nutrition and health. When you cover culinary subjects, such as in your "Holiday Meals" article printed in the Dec. 2021 issue of The Reader, I appreciate your having employed a wide cultural lens. I look forward to your future writings.
A: Thank you so much for the feedback. I have passed it along to Andy, and he is thrilled. We're lucky to have him writing for the Reader. Take care, Liz Wermcrantz, Editor
Wellness Wednesday
Q: During COVID protocol in 2020 and 2021, I was excited that I could purchase Co-op wellness products with a discount one time per month on any day, as opposed to the pre-COVID one-day-only Wellness Wednesdays.
I don't live or work in Madison, and my Willy St. shopping days are Saturdays, when I can make it. I was never able to take advantage of Wellness Wednesday shopping, so I was surprised and pleased that the discount was offered once per month on whatever day I could shop at the Co-op, during COVID.
I see that you have returned to the first Wednesday of each month as the only day to purchase wellness products with the discount. That's too bad. Instead of buying lotions and toothpaste and soaps at Willy St, I will go back to the less expensive brands I can find at my local stores.
I do hope the wellness discounts for ANY shopping day, once per month, will be reconsidered.
I have been an owner since 1993. In 2018, I signed up my partner on my membership. He may occasionally use the Wellness Wednesday discounts, but he's not as excited about lotions and soaps and oils as me. :-)
I appreciate the knowledgeable staff, the awesome food and wine selections, and other great specials at Willy St. Co-op. Thank You!
A: Thanks for the comment. We discontinued the "Wellness Any Day" coupon for Owners after January of 2021 because, simply put, we could not afford to continue offering it. With the pandemic, sales in our Wellness department generally have suffered (see my January 2021 article for more information on this,) and with the loss in sales, compounded by all of the financial challenges of COVID, the 10% Wellness Any Day discount became untenable.
With the Wellness Wednesday discount (10% off Wellness on the first Wednesday of the month), we see a sales increase in all departments of our stores during that one day, and the discount is mainly paid for in labor efficiencies gained. Unfortunately, with the Any Day Coupon, the math just did not work out.
I hope that's helpful information. I understand that it's probably not what you want to hear. I know a lot of Owners really appreciated the Wellness Any Day coupon—I too wish we could continue it, but we also need to make sure that our business remains financially sustainable, and sometimes that means making hard decisions like this one. All the Best, Megan Minnick, Purchasing Director