LAKEWOOD, Colo., March 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Grocers
has announced updated company-wide policies as the Coronavirus
pandemic continues to impact the communities which it serves. The
updated guidelines include a $2 per
hour pay increase for hourly employees, new store hours, a special
shopping hour dedicated to vulnerable populations, and an updated
return policy.
- To support Natural Grocers' store and bulk manufacturing Crews
and to acknowledge the vital service they are providing to the
community, Natural Grocers has provided a $2 per hour pay increase effective March 23. $1 per
hour will be permanent and $1 per
hour will be temporary through May 3,
2020. The company has also provided two discretionary
bonuses to store Crew and one to bulk manufacturing Crew that have
been paid out over the last 4 weeks.
- All stores will be closing at 7:05
p.m. so that the company's good4uSM Crews can
restock and thoroughly clean their stores.
- All stores will open at their normal posted times from Monday
through Saturday. On Sunday, all stores will open at 9:00 a.m.
- From 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on
Sundays, shopping at all stores will be exclusively for
seniors (ages 60 and older), pregnant women and individuals with
underlying medical conditions.
- Natural Grocers will no longer accept returns of prepackaged
bulk, special ordered bulk and perishable items (dairy, frozen,
deli, meat and produce). Customers will be allowed one (1) return
per receipt from other categories in the store (grocery, vitamins
and body care). All unopened hand sanitizer will be accepted as
returns through May 1, 2020.
- All customers are being asked to bag or box their own groceries
at checkout.
- Construction teams are currently installing sneeze guards at
each checkout area. The rollout has begun at Denver area stores and will be implemented
across all stores within the next few weeks.
These new hours will remain in effect until further notice and
apply to all 157 Natural Grocers stores located in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho,
Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming.
"Since our parents started Natural Grocers as a door-to-door
business in 1955, our family has looked to our Founding Principles
to help guide our business decisions," explained Heather Isely, Natural Grocers Executive Vice
President. "Over the years, those principles have proven
indispensable as we navigate a changing world. This holds true now
more than ever before as we make decisions about the best way to
support our good4u Crew and our communities through this crisis and
the related evolving directives. We stand fully committed to
remaining open for our customers and to supporting the health and
wellbeing of our communities and good4u Crew."
Recent critical steps that Natural Grocers has implemented amid
the Coronavirus pandemic include:
- Natural Grocers is providing up to 2 weeks of paid leave to all
good4u Crew (both full-time and part-time) if they are diagnosed
with COVID-19 or if they are placed under mandatory quarantine by
public health authorities.
- Additional pay replacement may be provided for up to an
additional 12 weeks under Natural Grocers' short-term disability
benefit if a Crew member is unable to return to work after the
initial 2 weeks.
- Natural Grocers is actively hiring temporary full-time stocking
and cleaning positions at all stores. To apply for the temporary
stocking and cleaning positions,
visit www.naturalgrocers.com/temp-work or Text
"GROW" to 97211 to talk with a recruiter.
- Two Grand Opening dates have been rescheduled: Green Valley
Ranch, CO, previously scheduled for March
25, will now open on May 6 and
Cedar City, UT, previously
scheduled for April 11, will now open
on June 3.
- All in-store nutrition education classes, recipe demos and
one-on-one health coaching sessions have been canceled through
May 1.
- All product samplings have been eliminated.
- All on-tap Kombucha stations have been closed through
May 1.
- All testers have been removed and will be replaced with new
ones once the pandemic has abated.
- Home delivery is available at most of our stores through
Instacart (www.instacart.com/natural-grocers).
To locate the closest Natural Grocers store, visit the store
directory. For all Natural Grocers' updates related to the
Coronavirus, please visit:
https://www.naturalgrocers.com/few-more-updates-regarding-coronavirus
About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
Natural
Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC; NaturalGrocers.com)
is an expanding specialty retailer of organic and natural
groceries, body care products and dietary supplements. The company
offers a flexible, neighborhood-store format, affordable prices and
free, science-based nutrition education programs to help customers
make informed health and nutrition choices. Founded in Colorado in 1955, Natural Grocers has more
than 3,500 employees and operates 157 stores in 20 states.
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SOURCE Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.