Coop Food Store—Lebanon — Local services in Lebanon

The Co-op was & is designed for a very select group of people = the wealthy folks. I guess, if you're not from this area, you could think of the Co-op as a stepsister of Whole Foods. It's very expensive, which I expect for things that are fresh, organic, locally grown or raised, etc, but even National brands are much pricier here. I just don't understand why people seek out these kinds of stores, but maybe it's just me. This particular store has a very confusing, maze-like layout, and I have a hard time finding things here. There's aisles going diagonally, there's weird square shaped specialty areas (like gourmet cheeses & the like) and the check-outs are hard to find once you're already lost in the crazy aisles. Trust me, I never opt to go "grocery shopping" here -- I only find myself inside this store because I only need a couple items AND I'm already in this section of town. There are "real" grocery stores (northeast chain stores like Shaw's, Price Chopper, & Hannaford) about 10 minutes away that I normally shop at. I have a disabled friend who lives much closer to the Co-op than the larger shopping area, so I take her to this store & I might grab a few things. Otherwise, I avoid this place & I can't recommend it. But I'm well aware that the wealthy enclave of Hanover & all the doctors/nurses who work across the street at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center frequent the Co-op. And good for them --- I absolutely appreciate the business model, where anyone can become an "Co-operative member/owner" & receive money back from the co-op at the end of the year~ ASSUMING THEY MAKE A PROFIT. I'm a big fan of that. And I hope the folks that buy-in do indeed collect money at year's end. But I need better products, more variety, and lower prices before I ever become a...

It was a spur of the moment decision to go in the co-op. My immediate impression was disorganization although that could have just been a result of the environment the business sets forth. It was not a negative impression. I took my time strolling up and down the aisles. I did a lot of price comparison as I am a professional shopper I am well versed in the cost of goods. I will say I found the co-op rather on the pricey side. I understand natural and organic goods along with made New Hampshire or Vermont goods do have a higher cost and even with that in mind the prices were still rather high. Visiting a co-op is an excellent way to learn about different brands and products to widen your brand knowledge and try new foods. There is a co-op in my city but what I found at the checkout that I hadn't noticed in my local co-op was the free cooking classes. Yes very exciting The cashier saw me grab the pamphlet and started a conversation asking if I've ever taken a class which are free. My reply No The cashier said oh you have got to take at least one they are so fun and it's a great way to meet new people in your county. She's absolutely right taking a free 1 hour cooking class can lead to new friends new adventures. So I will say that at the co-op I discovered a lot more than just different cuisine. Every employee was very friendly. The lines at the check out were excessive as seems to be with any grocery store or co-op these days. I had made one purchase and grabbed the cooking class schedule The checkout process was so lengthy that I actually felt exhausted when I finally walked...

Stopped by yesterday morning to pick up a coffee and a few other items. I ordered a coffee at the Cafe--where there's a huge sign with the coffee sizes and prices--and was told the coffee was self-serve around the corner...? The cashier seemed annoyed I didn't know that. I then asked a woman at one of the checkouts if they had larger bags of Deep River chips and was told brusquely that if they weren't in the chip section (they weren't), they didn't have them. Okay, fine, so I went back to the Cafe where they had smaller bags and bought those. Went to another cashier to pay for some cheese and a very nice gentleman saw me with my four small bags of chips and said they had larger bags if I was interested. I replied that I had asked and was told they didn't. He helped me find them, but they were located nowhere near the chip section, but on an end cap in frozen foods. This gentleman was very nice and cheery, literally everyone else I interacted with that morning was borderline rude or in a bad mood. I get it, I don't expect people to be super-happy or cheery at 8:30 a.m., but if you work with the public (as I have) you need to be pleasant at the very least. Was very sorry I just didn't get my coffee and snacks at Dunkin. The only bright spot was the helpful gentleman. His coworkers could learn a few...