A Colorado-based organic grocery store chain is expanding east with its second Wisconsin store in Appleton.
Natural Grocers is a family owned and operated business founded in 1955. Its Appleton store is scheduled to open by the end of September in the former Joanne Fabrics store at 720 Casaloma Drive.
Katie Macarelli, director of public relations, says the store will be a little larger than typical for Natural Grocers with 23,000 square feet including a retail area of 12,572 square feet.
According to Macarelli Natural Food offers 100 percent organic produce, clean body care products, non-GMO prepackaged bulk products and responsibly sourced meat and dairy. There also is a large supplements section.
“We are very big on consumer transparency. When you pick up something from our shelf you will know what the ingredients are on the back” Macarelli says. “We don’t really ride trends. We think that healthy food, as pure as you can get it to its original form should be available and affordable to everybody.”
Natural Foods has 174 stores in 22 states and opens four to six stores per year. In addition to Appleton, it opened a store in Lake Geneva earlier this year.
“We are always looking to broaden our footprint but in a very structured and deliberate way,” Macarelli says. “We always look at communities where we can make a meaningful impact whether that’s expanding access to affordable natural and organic foods or nutritional education or community partnerships.”
Partnerships can take a few different forms. In Appleton, when shoppers bring their own bags, Natural Foods will donate 5 cents per bag to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. As part of its grand opening, the store will give away bags, but any bags shoppers bring will lead to a donation.
“At every store we have a nutritional health coach position,” Macarelli says. “That’s something utterly unique to Natural Grocers.”
The coach acts as the community liaison and offers science-based education through store tours, cooking demonstrations, one on one sessions in the store and community programs at schools, senior centers and community events.
Natural Foods recently began advertising for staff locally. Macarelli says people can find out more about employment opportunities and product standards at naturalgrocers.com.
