Organic Eggs
Thank you for having a comprehensive selection of organic eggs available for us to choose. Wondering what the difference is between “pasture-raised” and “cage-free” – both sound like more humane treatment of the chickens… (also?) maybe something to do with how (what) they are fed?
Thank you for your comment about pasture-raised vs cage-free eggs. The difference is that “pasture-raised” chickens have a guaranteed 108 square feet of space outside, I believe this applies to each bird. They can generally also forage for things they usually eat like worms, grass, and insects to supplement their diet. “Cage-free” chickens do not have the same guarantee of space, they are not confined to cages but usually they are still in a barn and may or may not have access to the outdoors depending on the producer. Both types of chickens will receive a feed provided by the producer as well but that can vary in what it’s made of and whether it’s organic or not. To have the organic label though the feed must be certified organic. -Nate Groth, Willy North Grocery Manager
DIY Salad Dressings
I love the sticker/magnet near bulk salad, ‘DIY Salad Dressings’, and I’m wondering if you sell it as a sticker or magnet. It would be so perfect for our fridge, and it is incredibly helpful when utilizing our fresh produce!
Thanks for your suggestion! Very soon we’re going to be meeting about branded merchandise, like shirts, tote bags, stickers…and magnets! We’ll include your idea in the discussion. -Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director
Update from 6/11: we had the branded merch discussion. It will be a while before we make magnets of any kind, but we’ve converted this into a PDF on the website. We wanted to make it easy to print and put on your fridge if you’d like! Find the PDF link here: https://www.willystreet.coop/about/departments/#produce
Catering
Do you cater for parties? I am planning for a June /July birthday party for about 50 people over the course of 3 hours.
I received your customer comment about catering. Although we did offer catering a few years ago, we have not resumed catering services at this time, so we cannot provide services for your event. Our main priority right now is providing food directly to our stores and having our shelves full for our in-house sales. Sorry that we couldn’t make this happen for you! -Nicholas OConnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager
Cooking Class Allergens
I just want to say thank you for including allergens in your cooking class listings. It helps me know if a class is safe for me to attend or not.
I’m glad you have found this recent addition helpful. We hope to see you in a cooking class soon! -Liz Hawley, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Clipboards
Please bring back the little clipboards where shoppers could attach their shopping lists. The ones at the entrance.
I know with some of the merchandising and the moving of products they took the clipboards away. I can mention to our merchandising department that you would like to see them return. Since the times have gone away where people needed to write the PLUs for produce we saw less and less of them being used and just sitting there. With such a small footprint we try to maximize all of our retail space. You could ask the customer service desk to use one of the small clipboards that we have for the kids to color on while they are in the store. That could be a good work around for you. Thanks for writing in. -Amanda Ikens, Owner Resources Coordinator
Hidden Springs Cheese
I shopped yesterday and Hidden Springs Creamery Driftless cheese has down sized container size from 7 oz to 5 oz. There is next to nothing in the 5 oz size. so, I passed on my usual cheese and bought a Vermont cheese.I would like hidden springs to again offer larger sized containers!!! It is a great cheese.
Thank you for reaching out to us about the change in container sizes for the Hidden Springs Creamery Driftless Cheese. Our Cheese Coordinator Matt and myself were also curious about the change, so Matt reached out to Amy at Hidden Springs Creamery. I have added Amy’s response below. Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions, and I hope you have a great day! -Pete Silver, Willy West Prepared Foods Manager
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain our rationale to this customer. We were getting pressure from some customers to add nutritional information and UPC codes to our containers. To upgrade our packaging we had to purchase a minimum order quantity of 15K units per sku; meaning for the 7 Driftless sku’s ordering the minimum for one size was 55K which is a lot for a small farmstead operation like us. We had 2 sizes with the older tubs; more customers purchased the 5oz than the 7oz. We decided for the 5 oz that we sell more of thinking folks would also appreciate the lower price point and buy multiples if they want more. We simply cannot afford the minimum of both sizes at this point. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any other questions.” -Amy, Hidden Springs Creamery
Not So Hot Produce
Hey! Love the north side co-op and love that y’all have a section for discounted less than fresh produce. It used to have a nice little display and is always my first stop at the store. But it’s been moved to a small space under some other produce. If you didn’t know it was a thing, you wouldn’t see it. I feel like it should be in a more accessible space like it used to be. I feel like a lil rat sorting through old produce when I go to check it out. Not to mention it’s a bad spot for elderly or disabled. I’ll still keep buying it, but just a suggestion.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us: we really appreciate hearing from our Owners! And yes, that ‘not so hot produce’ is in a ‘not so hot’ space by design: space is limited, and we need to prioritize our premium products ahead of the discounted produce if we want to continue to serve the Owners and the Madison community. The ‘not so hot’ produce is a service to our Owners and customers that doesn’t contribute to our bottom line. But there is value in it: it helps reduce food waste, and can provide customers with a lower cost option! The previous space for discount produce has been repurposed and is being used to merchandise promotional and seasonally appropriate products. The ‘not so hot’ produce at North is now being merchandised similar to our East and West produce departments. We understand this is not the most accessible area, but that there are also hundreds of products merchandised throughout the stores at that level (think bottom shelf of grocery aisles, freezers, and dairy coolers), and staff are happy to provide assistance! Thanks again for the feedback, and I hope you are enjoying this beautiful Spring day! -Andy, Produce Category Manager
Orca Bay Tilapia
Have you inquired about tilapia from Orca Bay Foods? Is it safe to eat and proper nutritional quality?
Thank you for your recent email regarding Orca Bay tilapia. The tilapia, along with all of the other farmed seafood from Orca Bay, is Best Aquaculture Practice certified. This certification covers everything from sustainability, fair-trade, animal welfare, and food safety. We are confident in its safety and nutritional quality. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to reach out. -Nick Heitman, Meat, Seafood, Beer, Wine & Spirits Category Manager
New Bike Benefits Sticker
I have replaced my bicycle helmet holding the yellow BB sticker. Do I need to register again for a new sticker?
We do need to see a sticker on the helmet to provide the benefit, but you could peel off the sticker from the old helmet (if you still have it) and bring it in for a free replacement! -Brendon Smith, Marketing & Communications Director
Wrong Receipt
I received a receipt that most definitely wasn’t mine (we don’t eat meat, so that was a dead giveaway) but has our names and member# on it. I don’t see any sign that we were charged for this, but it still seems a little creepy/screwed up and I thought you’d want to know. Thanks!
Thank you for reaching out about your account! This can happen if the person checking out gives the wrong Owner number or the cashier accidentally enters the number incorrectly into the register. I want to assure you that your information (beyond your name) is not compromised when this happens. If you notice this happening a lot, then it could be that someone is purposefully using your account without your permission and at that time I would be happy to assign you a new Owner number and close down the compromised account. I hope this is helpful, but don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. -Rosalyn Murphy, Board Executive Assistant/Owner Records Administrator
Kudos on the Reader
I just looked through the Willy Street Reader on flip book. Our design team is fire. I love how different styles are pulled in for different elements while maintaining a consistent brand throughout. And it is truly full of great information.
Thanks for the kind words about our newsletter! I will pass them along to Jake, our Art & Design Coordinator, as well. -Caitlyn Tompkins, Content Specialist
Peanut Butter Pie
Please bring back the peanut butter pie instead of making it seasonal!
I received your comment about Peanut Butter Pies. Good news, we are bringing these back next week, and they will be a core menu item from then on. Sorry for the gap in availability! -Nicholas OConnor, Prepared Foods & Cheese Category Manager
