Natural Grocers coming to Salem. We're not excited.

My wife and I love LifeSource Natural Foods, currently Salem"s one and only natural food store.

Health-minded eaters that we are, vegetarian and organic-leaning, we enjoy the friendly atmosphere and good selection of food at LifeSource.

However, we also lust after a Whole Foods, Market of Choice, New Seasons, or other larger natural food store with more choices and lower prices. Usually when we're in Portland, Corvallis, or Eugene, we stop at one of the stores that Salem should have, given its population, but doesn't.

So I was more than a little excited when I glanced at the front page of the Statesman Journal a few days ago and saw "Natural foods store set to open in June." 

Unfortunately, a few lines of reading knocked me back to reality. Salem wasn't getting a cool natural foods store, but a Natural Grocers store. Never having heard of Natural Grocers, I didn't know what the chain was like. 

Clearly, though, it wasn't a Whole Foods, Market of Choice, or New Seasons. 

A fast-growing organic foods retailer, which has sprouted 60 stores in 12 states, will soon compete for Salem’s grocery dollars.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. intends to open a Salem store by June, said Merredith Branscombe, a company spokeswoman. Branscombe couldn’t confirm the Salem store’s address, but city officials have approved a site plan for a 16,000-square-foot grocery store at 4250 Commercial St. SE.

...The retailer sells only organic products and bans anything with hormones, antibiotics, pesticide residue or artificial colors from its shelves. The full-service grocery also sells nutritional supplements, body care and pet products.

Anything owned by a "Vitamin Cottage" didn't sound like a cool, hip, cutting edge addition to Salem's (a.k.a. So-Lame) natural food scene. Checking out the Natural Grocers' web site, I came across a decidedly unexciting video tour of what they call a "real health food store."

 

This looks to me like a "Vitamin Cottage" that grew into a rather sterile natural food store. Meaning, without much charisma, energy, creativity, zest. My wife and I watched the video with a growing sense of...

LifeSource Natural Foods doesn't have a lot to worry about. 

Understand: we wish Natural Grocers success. I just don't see much, if anything, that the Natural Grocers store will offer that we need or want. Probably a bigger selection of some brands, especially in the vitamin area. 

Yawn. 

There's no deli in a Natural Grocers store. That's a deal-killer for us, and a big reason why we like Whole Foods so much. We don't like to cook, but we like to eat healthy, tasty, reasonably-priced vegetarian food. Takeout from the LifeSource deli section is a big part of our weekly diet.

Natural Grocers won't compete with LifeSource on that front. Which likely will make us occasional browsers in the Salem store, but not regular customers.

Salem still has a long way to go before it catches up to its much cooler sister cities to the north and south, Portland, Corvallis, and Eugene. Natural Grocers is a baby step in that direction, nothing more. And as long as I'm complaining...

Today I learned from a sign on the front what store is going in next to the south Salem Trader Joe's that opened last year. Ugh! A Tuesday Morning. Unbelievable. 

I've never been in one. My wife tells me it is a discount store, not even as nice as T.J. Maxx. I'd been envisioning a hip healthy restaurant to match Trader Joe's. Maybe a Cafe Yumm, which we love.

But no, Salem gets another blah store selling blah stuff. Which doesn't quite describe how Natural Grocers looks to me. Disturbingly close, though.

Comments

[Dan Gellner]

Why don't you give them the benefit of the doubt and check them out first before you let your internet research give you an opinion Brian? Good God (or whatever for you) what did you ever do before you had your little electronic device? Actually had to go out and experience, check things out for yourself. But that was a time before you had a car that could only go 45 miles too.

Seriously, check them out. If you don't like them... then you can yawn or whatever you feel you need to do. I would think that if Salem was so strapped for a organic foods store or two, you would embrace them with open arms and be thankful. Especially in an economy where new expansion of companies is MIA.

Be positive.

[Brian Hines]

Dan, our "green" car will go about 350 miles. We have a Chevy Volt -- wonderful car. Have you ridden in one? Have you owned one? If not, you shouldn't talk about what you haven't experienced.

(We used to own a Nissan Leaf. Also a great car. It goes 70 to 100 miles, which you'd know if you used Google as much as I do.)

Have you experienced the Salem Natural Grocers either? No, you haven't, because it doesn't exist. I said we're not excited about the store and gave some good reasons for this.

If you are excited, great for you. Like I said, I wish them success. This just isn't the new natural food store we'd like to see in Salem

[Dan Gellner]

Sheesh... about a 10 on the tension scale there Brian. I know you and I don't agree on a lot of stuff, but... All I'm saying is check it out when it gets there. Better to write a scathing review than write how much you are disappointed based on research on the internet.

Aren't you Libs supposed to be a little more open minded?

I'm sure your Volt is awesome. My thought is with the amount of tax payer money that was used to bail out GM, and the amount of money taxpayer's are going to lose with the buy back of stock from the GVT, we should all be getting one of those free.

I think it was a good choice to go there from the Leaf, because the charging station network is not established, and I don't think AAA can jump start an electric car. So having the dinosaur juice option is a nice backup. But hell, for that much $$$ why not get a Prius? (Except everyone had one, and they are ugly)

I'll stick with my Duramax Turbo Diesel. It gets great mileage considering it's size and pulling capacity,(Diesel engines are very efficient) and if I want to feel warm and fuzzy I can run Biodiesel.

Were you so mad at me you deleted my original post... Have some compassion.
Let's go hunting together sometime.

[Brian Hines]

Dan, I thought your comment was published, but somehow it wasn't. Sorry. My mistake (unless it was TypePad's, my blog service). Fixed that now.

The Volt can be jump-started. Recently my wife called AAA because it wouldn't start. Dealer found that the almost-new battery was defective. The "regular" battery starts the car, as is the case with hybrids (our Highlander Hybrid had a drained battery recently also).

Its sort of weird that a car with a giant battery won't start because the little battery is dead. But there must be good reasons why what one battery does can't be done by the other battery.

Yes, taxpayer money went to bail out GM and Chrysler. But if they had gone under, lots of taxpayer money would have been used for unemployment insurance and such. Plus, loss of a million jobs, or whatever, would have reduced tax receipts a lot.

I like your passion for ideas/causes you believe in. Passion is good. I'm the same way, just with different preferred ideas/causes. Sometimes I think the real problem with our country is the number of people who don't care about politics or social issues at all. Probably its better that we have fierce debates, than apathetic citizens.

I sort of resolved in this New Year to be less "in your face" and more understanding of how other people look upon the world. Haven't done a great job so far. You and I can disagree about things, but I suspect that if we met in person, we'd find as much (or more) to agree about.

[Dan Gellner]

I have lots of friends (and relatives) that don't agree with me on politics and certain other things. But we don't hate each other, we respect that ability to differ. I think you and I are the same way. We do have seem to share the desire for good coffee. And on rare occasion that I'm passing through Salem, I look at all those coffee places downtown and think... He's probably in there somewhere. :)

[Katie]

Honestly, I think you might be pleasantly surprised when the store opens up. Natural Grocers has a lot to offer. You're right, it's no competition for Whole Foods. But only because that's not the path our founders and their children have chosen. We could have easily added delis and salad bars, but we aren't trying to be some mega "health" food chain, we devote our energies to maintaining world class customer service, Every Day Affordable Prices, and the best quality products around. Please forgive the video, they are all very corny and lame and I can see why you might be scared away after watching them. Haha. All of our training videos are the same way. Anyway, I hope you will give us a shot and I think you will be pleased with what you find.

[Elena White]

I just applied for a position with the new Natural Grocers in Salem Oregon. I am grateful that a solid family company is coming to town. Its not like its another Safeway or Wal Mart is opening up. I am glad to hear that the shopping options for health-conscious people are becoming wider in our small Salem.
To any naysayers, think about the good things coming in the door instead of complaining that its not your preference. Like I said...its not like its another Wal Mart. I think we should all be happy that they're bringing the business to Oregon.
After all, I think this state and any true Oregonian would and should be grateful for this kind of company being a healthy and natural alternative to what seems to be everywhere these days..very UN-natural and processed materials. How's that for hindsight? Much Respect,
Elena

[Stefanie]

As someone who is very, very new to healthy eating, I am excited there will be another choice for food shopping in Salem. I, too, was hoping for a Whole Foods, but I actually am pleased with what I saw in the video and from what I know so far, I think Natural Grocers will actually end up becoming my primary grocery store.

LifeSource is my least favorite - their atmosphere and high prices don't appeal to me. And Trader Joe's is okay, but I think of it as one of those stores that people think is "cool" to go to.
I'm looking for a real grocery store where I can buy "regular" foods that I can use to make "regular" meals for my whole family, while feeling confident that those foods are still healthy and nutritious, not full of preservatives and chemicals. I also need the prices to be somewhat competitive with the big stores like Wal-Mart and Safeway.

So, for me, if it can’t be Whole Foods, I’m glad it’s Natural Grocers – hopefully my opinion won’t change after I actually shop there for the first time. I’m keeping an open mind. :)

[Blogger Brian]

Stefanie, I hope you're right about Natural Grocers. I'm just not sure what it'll add to Salem that isn't already available from LifeSource and Trader Joes.

I really like the LifeSource atmosphere. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Plus, this is a local store, with local connections, and a big commitment to sustainability and community involvement.

Regarding Trader Joes, I'm a weekly shopper there. I've been impressed with how low the TJ prices are, and how good the quality is. Things like yogurt, wine, organic raisin bran, organic cherry tomatoes -- considerably cheaper than other places.

As noted in this post, my wife and I enjoy the LifeSource deli a lot. That alone will keep us going to LifeSource as our primary natural food store. The deli food isn't quite as low calorie and healthful as we'd like, but LifeSource knows what most of its customers want (quasi "comfort food," often).

But like you, I'll keep an open mind about Natural Grocers.

[Mark U]

I am happy to see the store opening in Salem. I do not shop at lifesource because its clientele is rife with vegan and South Salem twits. I am a Souther, but seems like there are too many rude people- all in a hurry. Lifesource? I hate Birkenstocks and haven't owned a Volvo since 1972. I try to add bacon to everything.

[Danny]

What our country needs, and some areas more than others is any organic food stores where healthy food and information is made available..The more the merrier....

Every store will not be a perfect fit for everyone... We all have different needs, and the more options the better.. We shouldn't be looking to pit this place against that place.

I look forward to driving north to Salem to check it out.. Would sure welcome something like that in Albany.

[Jeanne McCartney]

I've just started a Facebook page with the cause of heightening interest in and awareness of bringing a Market of Choice to Salem. Please direct people over there; I'm going to make Market of Choice management aware of its existence.

[Brian Hines]

Jeanne, good idea. I looked for your Facebook page, but couldn't find it. Can you send a link?

[Rob]

Looks good to me. LS could use some competition.

[Carl]

I didnt even know old people knew how to "troll" on the internet...hahahahaha and you get mad at the younger generations...look at the immature example you set....tisk, tisk, tisk.

[Pat]

I would encourage those with doubt to peruse the reviews on Yelp. I believe you will be hard pressed to find a negative review. This is a solid family company with growth potential and a solid balance sheet that appreciates their team members and promotes from within. If you are looking for a career opportunity you could do worse.

I lived in Colorado and shopped there often. The selection is excellent and the staff is extremely knowledgeable. The bulk spice selection is top notch for those of us that enjoy cooking at home.

Here is link for your reading pleasure...

http://www.naturalgrocers.com/products/what-we-wont-sell-and-why

Embrace additional shopping choices Salem. They bring jobs to the community and that is never bad unless you are looking for another Walmart.

[G'Anna Dennis]

I am starting a 9 day cleanse that my naturopath, Dr. Matthew West, has asked me to follow. Organic fruits, veges and juices. So I went to what I thought was my only option, Life Source. I bought enough produce to last 4 or 5 days and it cost me 78 bucks! I then went to trader Joe's and spent $35 for cherries, strawberries, arugula, etc (not much option in the organic dept). Then onto WinCo (my usual shopping destination) for broccoli, and onions all though they are not organic the prices were great. After all this running around I spent close to $130 and didn't get enough green food for a week for one person! This long story is to say... on my way home from WinCo (I live in West Salem) I turned my head just in time to glimpse a sign above a store front that read... EAT ORGANIC! I found this blog in search of learning more about what store that was. And I wish I knew about it at the beginning of my sojourn, not at the end. I try to boycott Life Source as much as possible. Way over priced. I buy my products online from Vitacost.com and save tons, even with shipping costs. Life Source needs the competition. Having a monopoly in the health grocer market has gone to their wallet! Can't wait to juice and drink all I bought so I can try out this new store. We do also need more organic restaurants in town too! For those of you who don't cook.

[Sarah]

I came upon your blog post through a google search and I have to say it really ruffled my feathers and inspired me to comment.

I have to say that I find your disenchantment with Natural Grocers to be not a little myopic and, frankly, pretty self-involved. You are correct that NG is not a sexy, hip natural foods store that is relying on image to appeal to hipsters and yuppies to make up for grossly inflated prices and poor customer service, and I'm saying thank God for that. If you have visited NG since it's opened, you've surely noted that the prices are drastically lower than their competitors, and hopefully that the customer service is drastically better.

For so long, natural and organic foods has been a niche market, mainly because the prices of those products have been significantly higher than their non-organic counterparts. When a store like NG opens in a community and offers organic produce at prices that is equal, or cheaper, in price than traditional produce, people who otherwise could not afford to purchase organic now can! The same goes for other grocery items. You don't get this with Whole Foods. I love the idea that people of lower socioeconomic means can have the same option as others, and the same access to healthier and more sustainable products. That need far outweighs your need to grab a quick ready-made meal from a hot bar. I hope you can see the benefit to your community as a whole.

[Lise]

Natural Grocers isn't an organic, fresh or healthy produce focused store. It's a store pushing pseudoscience, checkout cashiers telling customers not to vaccinate their babies and pushing enema cleanses. This blog post had the right idea :p

[Megan]

I am from Colorado where Natural Grocers is a big hit. It is cheaper than Whole Paycheck, oops I mean Whole Foods. And what they mean by "real" health food store is that Market of Choice is absolutely NOT a health food store. Some things in there are of course healthy, but MOST of what that store carries is definitely mainstream food you can find at Fred Meyers for much cheaper. We laugh at that place because it is designed *exactly* like a whole foods store. Who are they foolin? Not me. So the elite shop there and think they are hip.

So, Natural Grocers is perfect. Being from the very hip state of Colorado, I hereby proclaim Natural Grocers as being "hip" and you should be really excited they are there! I was ecstatic when they came to Corvallis! But very dismayed at how these people majorly snubbed the store. I hope it makes it because it has been a very slow start but it is picking up a little. So give it a chance! I shopped there exclusively when I was in Colorado. It is a perfect store for Oregon and it is about time they got one or two!

[Rebecca]

This is a few years late, but, here in downtown Phoenix, a Natural Grocers opened up just a few months back and I am tickled pink. Where I used to run to Sprouts to get some things, Whole Foods for others, Natural Grocers has more of the what I buy in one place, no running back and forth. It's smaller than Sprouts and WF, and the staff very willing to go above and beyond (including adding a whole new product to their shelves based upon my special-ordering it at one point). And last, but not least, their prices are, on average better than Sprouts or WF on almost everything I buy. WF is kinda fun, on the atmosphere; however, I don't base my purchases on the hip factor. But then I guess I'm an old chick.

And today, I just noticed that the poor, semi-transient are stopping in to shop, as well. While that might be a turn-off for some, it's nice to see good-quality food being made affordable to those who otherwise could not buy it.

Um, did you ever GO to NG to try it out once it opened? Did it change your "not excited" opinion at all?

[John]

The assortment of products is good and staff are friendly. One caution is their "bulk" products. Most, if not all, of their prepacked products are raw, the corporate suppresses nutrition information, such as Certificates of Analyses. That would tell you the amount of heavy metals and bacteria / fungi / mold (even pathogenic) in a product. It seems they don't check and not treat against mold. Stay way from their pre-packeged products.

[Ned]

I only occasionally shop there. Prices seem high for packaged items & selection/variety is so-so. What irks me is how slow some of the cashiers can be. Having waited in a long line to buy one item (with cash in hand), I still was waiting when a second checker came but did not direct the next in line customer to the new line. It was a free for all with the LAST person in line getting "jumped" ahead to the new register! (This never happens at Roth's.) I put my item back & gave my business to Life Source. I paid more but it was worth it. The NG manager needs to train the cashiers to not irritate the customers if they want to stay in business.

[Charlies Boothouse III]

To the writer, I feel you on the sterile feel to their environment however it's easy to look past after your first few visits. After shopping here and comparing their prices and service to both Trader Joes and Sprouts I can say I'm pleased to have Natty G's as an option. Their customer service alone blows Trader Jerks and Sprouts out of the water in my experience. Also, it's sad that you don't like to cook. It is really a great way to spend time with your partner. I don't know why anyone would frequent such a pretentious and negative blog. This is laughable.

[Debby]

I’m the opposite of Blogger Brian when it comes to Natural Grocers vs Life Source. I’ve found more ‘smug’ people at Life Source, particularly in the vitamin Dept. No less than 3 times someone would offer to help and then make me feel stupid for not knowing more about a product before asking, instead of being kind and willing to educate. At Natural Grocers, the people back in vitamin/supplements are so helpful and have reference books that they’ll look up and provide you with more info on what you’re looking for.
There is a bit of a smug attitude amongst a lot of health minded people, like they ‘know better.’ I say ‘live and let live.’
I visited a Market of Choice recently in Bend, OR, would LOVE to see a market of the caliber in Salem! There were times I never thought we’d get Trader Joe’s in this town, and we finally did, so i’ll Keep hoping for MOC I’m this town someday!