River Valley Co-op — Local services in Easthampton

Ok, so it's a supermarket! Well, to those that drive by and just assume this, you are missing the point. It is a supermarket except the energy here is pretty amazing. The staff could not be friendlier, the products could not be more interesting and truly the best of the best! Their buyer really has amazing taste. Every single product is intriguing! Everything I looked at I had to read! Almost everything has a story and what isn't labeled like produce and all of the many, many different items in the aisle where you bag yourself is actually quite beautiful to the eye! Not a place you can run in and quickly pick something up! I learned so much about so many different rice, grains and oils it was pretty cool! So many fascinating items and everything is so well arranged and displayed! Best of all, the entire time I was there outside a band played! There were so many people dancing and the people that weren't dancing were moving and smiling! Like I said "It's a supermarket!" Not really! It is a gathering place. We do not have anything like this in Connecticut! It is similar to a Whole foods but times 10! It was nice if just for a little while to forget about all the things that are happening around us. So many people just enjoying the moment. We will...

I appreciate having a store close by that has a lot of local/organic options, but I find I need to pay very close attention to the expiration dates on things here, specifically the dairy, as it often expires within a couple days of purchase. I also wonder if there is some issue with their refrigeration, as I’ve purchased dairy on several occasions that had a sell by date that was not approaching, but the dairy was spoiled (I’ve noticed this with both yogurt and milk).

Other than that, I appreciate their selection and love supporting local. The employees can be extremely helpful and kind, though there are often cashiers who don’t even bother to help bag- even when I’m clearly very pregnant and struggling to reach for items, I have had to ask for assistance many times and when I do, they tend to seem very annoyed. However the employees who are stocking items, working the counters and the people working the registers later in the evening are almost always wonderful and extremely...

Great addition to the neighborhood. Fresh, local produce, sustainable goods, homemade prepared foods, beer, wine, local meats and sustainable seafoods! Love it! The staff are always helpful, friendly, and knowledgable.

And the icing on the cake … small shopping carts for the toddler that made his day!

update Feb ‘22: Still love this place however I’ve got to say the prepared food section seems managed poorly. Compared to what is a friendly and efficient process at the NoHo location, this location is lacking. Unsure where to wait in line for prepared foods or deli. Slow, bland service. Poor signage. Wish they had more prepared salads like the smoked salmon/ tuna more often or at all. Just don’t get the inviting vibe or the neighbor-like feeling you get at the other location and frankly the food could be better. The wine, cheese, produce and butcher sections are great. The cashiers are awesome and friendly. Still love ya’ll but hope this helpful criticism...