If you visited any of our Outpost locations on Sunday, October 15, you may have engaged with a board member during our second monthly Co-op Conversations event.

Our October topic was “Dynamic Local Food Systems.” And our goal was to open up the conversation about what constitutes a truly effective food system (what is that?), and how owners see Outpost interacting and being a part of that system. Our hope is that these conversations are not only fun and engaging, but we also hope they will give us valuable insights on how to make better decisions for the co-op on the whole.

And yes! We’re really interested in what you have to say!

Some of the things we’ve heard from shoppers during our first two co-op conversations have included the following:

Things you love about Outpost:

• Outpost employees: friendliness, experience, customer service
• The trust factor -- both in terms of people and product selection (organic, local, safe options)
• Excellent produce
• High quality offerings, “food that has integrity”
• Variety of items, including meat selection, goats milk products, bulk spices
• The sense of community, “an oasis to what's going on in the world”
• The size, feel and smells in the store
• Prices and sales, especially for owners
• Sampling days
• Outpost’s knowledge of the community when planning new stores
• Unionized workers
• Support of local farmers, increased visibility, “gives a platform to tell their stories”
• “Love the renovation of the Capitol Drive store!”

Things you’d like to see:

• Electric car recharging stations at State Street location
• Expanded selection of breads, mushrooms, tofu, gluten free products, vegan, no-soy options, health and beauty items fresh-squeezed orange juice
• More education & active information sharing: Nutrition tips, recipes, tours of the store
• More options/variety at the hot bar/cafe, including fish, vegan mock chicken
• More olive oil, less canola oil, in prepared foods
• Better prices
• Better visibility and marketing in the competitive market, more visibility on social media, more of a presence at local events
• Both local and conventional products
• More advocacy for local farms, “grow-ops”

Join us in November  to talk about SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS!

And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to give us additional feedback in the months to come. Our next Co-op Conversations will take place on Sunday, November 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be one board member at each Outpost store. And the theme we want you to think about is: "Sustainable Solutions.”

What’s the importance of sustainability in our world today? Is it important for businesses like Outpost to support sustainable solutions? What elements of sustainability do you see at Outpost? What would you like to see?

Think about it!  And then share your thoughts with us in the comments below OR (even better!) at the event on NOVEMBER 19!   

Board members will also be sampling something delicious from our store. So, you can taste some local food as we chat about your vision for our cooperative!

Lori Fredrich

Board Member