GM Update — April 2026
from the General Manager, Seth Naumann
Owner Appreciation
Seth (right) with Ned in our grocery department (left) during the holiday rush.
Spring is such an inspiring time at the co-op. We start receiving outdoor floral deliveries, local produce variety begins to pick up, and we have Owner Days in April! A few years back, we switched Owner Days to a month-long promotion, and I am so glad that we did. Not only does it allow owners to use their Owner Days discount at their convenience, but it also makes things so much less hectic for staff. Another benefit of having it throughout the entire month is that it allows me to slow down and have some great conversations with our owners in the aisles.
After more than a year in the role of General Manager, I can say without a doubt that one of my favorite parts of the position is my increased availability to our owners. Hearing stories about how people discovered the co-op, what keeps them coming back, and even how the co-op has changed their lives is such a heartwarming part of the work that we do. I have now been here long enough to go from seeing owners come in with their children to seeing those children grow up and request their own owner number. I have spoken with owners who moved away for years, only to return to town and proudly share the owner number they remembered by heart all those years later.
Cooperative grocery has been and always will be so much more personal than just buying food. We are a community rooted within our community. We look out for each other, share stories, and grow with one another. Just like the new growth we see this season, the co-op is also experiencing new eras of ownership. I am so grateful to be part of this cooperative community and the lives of everyone in it. The next time you see me or any of our staff in the aisle, don’t hesitate to share your co-op story with us. I promise it will make our day!
Shopper Survey
As a community owned business, the input of our owners and shoppers is a critical component of our cooperative’s operations. We are asking for your feedback through a Shopper Satisfaction Survey which we share every two or three years, so that The Merc Co+op may better serve your needs. In order for the results of our survey to best represent our customer base, it is important that we receive as many responses as we can. The findings of this survey will provide crucial information that will help guide our management team and board of directors.
Please complete the survey by April 15. If there is more than one adult in your household, please have the adult who is the primary food shopper complete this survey. All survey entries are eligible for a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards. To be entered into the drawing, please provide a valid email address at the end of the survey. Your responses are completely confidential, and email addresses will only be utilized to communicate with the winners of our raffle. Each owner or shopper can complete the survey once.
Thank you for your time and participation. If you have questions about the survey or need an alternate version, please contact our marketing department.
In & Around the Co-op
