The Lawrence plastic bag ban takes effect tomorrow. The Merc Co+op removed plastic bags from our registers in 2013, and the paper bags we provide are 60% post-consumer recycled material - in other words, it’s business as usual. We appreciate this step our Lawrence government is taking to encourage a more sustainable future!
The Merc Co+op is excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Change for our Community program. “Change” gives shoppers the opportunity to donate their spare change to local organizations every time they shop. Each month, a different organization is featured as the recipient, and 100% of all donations collected go to that specific organization.
In fiscal year 2022, we - as a co-op community - raised $85,484. Since the program began in January 2014, we have raised over $601,000 for 57 local nonprofits.
October is Fair Trade Month, and Fairtrade America is launching their fourth annual campaign to generate broader awareness Fairtrade certified products. This year, The Merc Co+op’s Lawrence store was selected! Mural installation begins the week of September 11.
Egg dyeing is a fun way to celebrate this time of year—and it's a tradition that goes way back—as much as 5,000 years when Persians celebrated springtime with eggs colored with plant-based dyes. Plant dyes can be just as useful today and they're plentiful; in fact you very well might have dye-worthy ingredients in your kitchen already.
Here are some great plant-based dyes—fruits, vegetables, spices and flowers.
By Zac Hamlin, Human Resources Manager
In the winter issue of Connections I wrote about the ways that your co-op was changing in order to offer livable wages and create more co-op careers.
There were early successes with this experiment. I am proud to report that those successes continue to roll in. Turnover has ground to a halt, and nearly all employees have completed the trainings required to earn the livable wage rate. While we continue to fine tune operations, our next step is mitigating the wage compression created by our new approach to compensation.
According to the Kansas Department of Labor wage survey (and prior to implementing our Livable Wage Initiative), The Merc Co+op was already leading the market in frontline worker pay and lagging the market in supervisory pay. Despite that, your co-op chose to invest labor dollars into frontline staff, and asked supervisors to wait. Tenured staff and supervisors understood that this was a tall order, that the work would be more difficult and the reward unclear.
“It takes a village” is a saying that applies to your co-op as well. The woman that codes invoices and the fellow who orders apples are just as critical to our success as the stocker, cashier and barista that you see on the forefront. Their tasks may be less visible, but their contribution is no less valuable.
Growing sales, customer count and new owners are the things that offset labor expenses, and that’s where you come in. Thank you for choosing to shop our co-op! Your participation makes it possible to recognize, retain and reward staff on all levels of the this organization.
Make the most of our high quality culinary products in any season and bring world-class flavor to your meals on even the most modest budget. We've collected a variety of articles dealing with food, herbs, teas, cooking and a mindful lifestyle to help you explore the world of natural living. Check out these bulk-inspired articles and join us February 23-25 for our Bulk Sale!
Egg dyeing is a fun way to celebrate this time of year—and it's a tradition that goes way back—as much as 5,000 years when Persians celebrated springtime with eggs colored with plant-based dyes. Plant dyes can be just as useful today and they're plentiful; in fact you very well might have dye-worthy ingredients in your kitchen already.
View recipes on strongertogether.coop
More and more shoppers are being enticed into the bulk aisles of their food stores—and for good reason! Buying in bulk is great for your budget (buy just the amount you need, at the best prices) and the environment, since there's less packaging required. With the opportunity to see and smell a product outside the package before you buy, it’s a fun way to shop too. Read more...
