Community Food Co-op

Voted Bellingham's best grocery store. Full-service deli, hot bar, salad bar featuring organic, local, and natural foods. Everyone can shop, anyone can join. Co+op, stronger together.

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      • Community Food Co-op, Downtown Store, 1220 North Forest Street at Holly StreetDowntown Store
        1220 North Forest Street at Holly Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        8 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
      • Cordata Co-Op exteriorCordata Store
        315 Westerly Road at Cordata Parkway
        Bellingham, Washington
        8 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
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You are here: Home / Archives for save

7 Ways to Save at Your Co-op

7 ways to save at your co-op

In our recent price comparison story, you can see how prices at the Co-op are already comparable to our competitors. In fact, prices are often considerably lower than at other local stores. But, who doesn’t want to save even more money?

Here are seven simple ways to save at the Co-op.

FOR ALL SHOPPERS

Co+op Basics

co-op basics logo

Our lowest prices on everyday basics in every department. Look for signs in our stores.

Fresh Deals

fresh deals logo

Sales in produce, meat, deli, specialty cheese, and bakery. Posted in the foyer every Wednesday and on our website.

Co+op Deals

co-op deals logo

60+ items on sale every day. Look for signs in our stores. Twice-monthly sales flyer in stores and on our website.

Coupon Books

hand holding co-op deals coupon book

Co+op Deals coupon books are issued every two months. Coupons books in stores and can be viewed on our website.

Double Savings

hand reaching for coupon next to sale sign

Sale items + coupons = double savings. Look for signs in our stores.

FOR CO-OP MEMBER-OWNERS

Special Orders

staff holding a special order box

Order by the case at the service desk.
Tip: Place special orders when products are on sale for the greatest savings.

Owner Coupons

scissors with volume discount saving coupon

Owner Appreciation Coupons are issued three times per year. Published in our In Season magazine.

SALES| THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE co+op basics| deals| sales| save| smart shopping| the co-op difference

50% off All Citrus!

50% off all citrus!

Friday - Saturday - Sunday in both stores!

Special citrus sampling noon to 3 pm Saturday in both stores.

Everyone welcome. Sale prices available to everyone. RSVP on Facebook to get sale reminders.

citrus| sale| save

Earth Day 20% OFF Bulk Sale!

Earth Day Sale!
20% OFF all bulk items. Includes items on sale, too!
Shop the bulk aisle, plus general merchandise like bulk dishwashing and cleaning products and body care (bulk shampoos, conditions, soaps, etc.)
Reduce your consumption of unnecessary packaging and stock your pantry with healthful whole foods.
Bring your refillable containers or buy one of ours and save it for future refills.
See you on Earth Day!

Facebook Event Page

bulk| reduce| sale| save

Co-op Prices Beat the Competition

by Jim Ashby, General Manager

February 2018
price comparison to haggen, whole foods, and fred meyer

We take our commitment to sharing honest information seriously, so we don’t tailor our lists to make us look good and the information hasn’t been edited before publication to improve how we compare to other stores.

Co-op staff is on your team! We build strong relationships to get the best deals possible, and then we pass the savings on to you.

Every year we undertake the process of conducting a rigorous price comparison survey. In addition to providing interesting information and transparency to our
member-owners, these surveys are invaluable to the Co-op merchandising staff responsible for setting prices. It also helps us achieve our strategic goal for healthy food access.

the Co-op offers great value for the money you spend on high-quality food

For the second year in a row, the overall cost for a large group of identical products is lower at the Co-op than at three of our competitors. We’re proud to once again say that the Co-op offers great value for the money you spend on high-quality food and personal care products.

This was our most comprehensive survey in several years. Our starting point included a list of more than 500 grocery, produce, meat, and wellness products. The final number of products compared was determined by the competitor’s product selection. If it was on our list and the competitor sold it, it was included in the comparison. The product selection was not edited to improve how we compared. The number of identical products at each location ranged from 392 at Fred Meyer to 230 at Haggen, with Whole Foods falling in the middle.

Natural foods and wellness products have been the fastest growing segment of the grocery business for quite a few years now. Attracting and retaining natural food shoppers is the focus of every company in this intensely competitive industry. As a relatively small community-owned business, maintaining competitive prices with large chains has always been a challenge for the Co-op. I’m happy to report that we continue to rise to that challenge.

food may be our middle name, but community always comes first

We take very seriously our goal to make high-quality, nutritious, culturally appropriate, and affordable food accessible to all. Thank you for choosing to shop with us. At the Community Food Co-op, food may be our middle name, but community always comes first. We own it!

Smart Shopping at the Co-op

Smart Shopping at your Co-op explains how to maximize your shopping dollars and save even more money at the Co-op. If you have questions about these savings opportunities, just ask any Co-op staff. We’re always happy to help. Thanks for your support.

Comparisons for Co-op Basics Products

All stores had higher prices than the Co-op, when comparing store brands. At the Co-op these items are labeled as Co+op Basics.

Whole Foods (365 store brand): prices were 11.2% higher on 21 total common products
Haggen (O Organics store brand): prices were 5.9% higher on 14 total common products
Fred Meyer (Simple Truth store brand): prices were 11.3% higher on 23 total common products

Comparisons for Wellness Products

All stores had higher prices than the Co-op in the wellness department.

Whole Foods: prices were 4.7% higher on 81 total common products
Haggen: prices were 10.5% higher on 77 total common products
Fred Meyer: prices were 3.5% higher on 200 total common products

Comparisons for Produce

Only Fred Meyer had lower prices than the Co-op in the produce department.

Whole Foods: prices were 1.3% higher on 99 total common products
Haggen: prices were 18% higher on 64 total common products
Fred Meyer: prices were 3.6% lower on 68 total common products

Comparisons for Grocery Products

Once again, only Fred Meyer had lower prices than the Co-op in the grocery department.

Whole Foods: prices were 6% higher on 104 total common products
Haggen: prices were 3% higher on 78 total common products
Fred Meyer: prices were 2.9% lower on 111 total common products

Comparisons for Meat

All three stores had lower prices than the Co-op in the meat department. Due to the Co-op's stringent meat guarantee, it is problematic to even find meat products to compare, which explains the small sample sizes noted below. Chicken products comprise the majority of the comparisons, along with a few packaged items like Hempler's products. There really is no comparison on the quality of other meat products the Co-op carries, which are largely cooperatively farmed by regional producers and have a range of attributes including hormone- and antibiotic-free, Non-GMO certified, organic, humane certified, and more.

Whole Foods: prices were 8% lower on 22 total common products
Haggen: prices were 12.3% lower on 11 total common products
Fred Meyer: prices were 10.2% lower on 12 total common products

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SALES| THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE fred meyer| haggen| price comparison| save| whole foods

Bulk Foods—Variety, Affordability, Quality

by Tim Flores, Downtown bulk department head

ingredients bulk foods popcorn pistachios jars m&m

Save money and reduce food and package waste when you buy bulk.

I love to work in the bulk food department for a variety of reasons.

I am passionate about quality whole foods, waste reduction, and shopping efficiently to save money.

Here in the bulk department, we’re all about savings and lessening our impact on the environment.

Buying bulk can help you save money and reduce food and package waste. Buying only what you need, at a good value, and reusing your packages cuts out the little inefficient costs that otherwise can start to add up to extra expense.

Another benefit of shopping bulk is product freshness. The Co-op bulk departments are very popular and that means product turnover is rapid. Bulk containers are refilled throughout the day just to keep up with demand.

Shopping bulk is simple. Our bulk departments offer reusable containers that can be refilled repeatedly. Even better, we love it when you bring in your own clean containers to refill. Just remember to weigh your empty container and record the tare weight, write the 4-digit PLU number on the container, and fill with as little or as much food as you want.

how to buy bulk soap at grocery store scale label

I am endlessly amazed at the quality of whole foods and spices the bulk department gets from around the world. At the Community Food Co-op, we are ever aware of what it takes to get all these amazing dried goods to our store, and we try to source the freshest, most ethically produced, and best organic goods available on the market. With this in mind, we always seek good prices to pass along to our community of shoppers. When you shop bulk, you are buying foods that are generally cheaper than the identical pre-packaged product on the shelf.

You can find things in the Co-op's bulk department that you just can’t find anywhere else.

Beyond the usual dry goods such as flours, rice, grains, and nuts, the Co-op bulk department also carries bulk honey, tamari, oils, vinegars, maple syrup, agave, nut butters, loose leaf teas, various dried seaweeds, and plenty of amazing sweets and snack items.

Visit to see what is available in our extensive bulk spice section—you might be surprised. If you’re looking for a hard to find ingredient for a recipe, need that little something extra to flavor a dish just so, or if you’re curious and just want to try new spices to grow your culinary repertoire, it’s likely we have what you need.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for—ask!

The Co-op specializes in customer service. There is always someone available in our stores who is happy to help. Bulk department managers (Tim–Downtown store and Michael–Cordata store) are great resources to find what is in stock or what might be available to order. We love to answer questions, and if we don’t know the answer to your question we’ll go out of our way to find an answer for you!

If your household eats a lot of certain staple foods, spices, teas, or coffees, you might consider placing a special order. Co-op member-owners can special order bulk products in case sizes for a 20 percent discount off the shelf price. Simply go to the service desk, ask what case sizes are available, pre-pay for your order, and return to pick it up when it arrives fresh from our suppliers. Case sizes range from as little as 1 pound for spices, up to 50 pounds for oats (one of our most popular bulk items), but the most common case size for bulk products is 25 pounds.

Bellingham and Whatcom County are amazing places to live and work, and the Co-op is proud to serve our community with two big and beautiful stores. While our stores serve different sides of town, and the layout of each store is different, we love to work together to make our product selection as linear as possible and provide a great selection in both bulk departments. But, if you can’t find what you need when shopping at either of our stores, check in with staff as it may be available at the other store.

Please come in often to discover what’s new in bulk.

I personally love to talk all things food, and I enjoy the opportunity to talk with you about cooking techniques, favorite flavors, or any odd question you might have about bulk foods or organic foods in general. So the next time you’re shopping, I invite you to stop by to chat and to discover what’s new in bulk.

Co-op Shoppers Love to Buy Bulk

In 2014, Co-op shoppers literally bought tons of bulk food!

Totals represent combined sales from both stores.

oats spoon oatmeal

42,943 pounds
Oats—all varieties

coffee beans zoomed in

38,869 pounds
Coffee Beans—all varieties

raisins pile bulk

11,205 pounds
Thompson Raisins

almonds bag bulk

18,497 pounds
Almonds—all varieties

quinoa bulk spoon raw

2,289 pounds
Organic Quinoa, plain

peppercorns bulk whole pepper

267 pounds
Organic Black Peppercorns

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BULK| GROCERY bulk| fresh| grains| nuts| reduce waste| save| save money

Categories

  • BAKERY
  • BULK
  • DELI & CATERING
  • EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
  • FARM FUND
  • FLORAL & GARDEN
  • GROCERY
  • HEALTH & BEAUTY
  • HOT OFF THE PRESS
  • MEAT & SEAFOOD
  • PRODUCE
  • RECIPES
  • SALES
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE
  • WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS
picking coffee beans at Pachamama Cooperative

Pachamama Coffee Cooperative

Pachamama is a co-op that is 100% owned and governed by the farmers who grow the coffee. Pachamama’s member-cooperatives represent thousands of families in Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ethiopia.

bulk beans and grains in scoops

Buy Bulk! Save Money and Reduce Food and Packaging Waste

The Co-op’s bulk department is all about saving money, reducing waste, and being better stewards of our environment. We offer products in our bulk department that can’t be found elsewhere.

Hummingbird

Vendor Profile: Hummingbird Wholesale

“What if, like the hummingbird, all people would sip the nectar of the earth without harming the flower? Is it possible? At Hummingbird, we know it is possible.”
Learn more …

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HIGH RISK PRIORITY SHOPPING HOUR • 8 am to 9 am daily • both stores
DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI
• map • 360-734-8158 •  8 am – 9 pm; deli service counter closes at 7 pm
CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 8 am – 9 pm; deli service counter closes at 7 pm
CO-OP BAKERY CAFÉ and CONNECTIONS BUILDING CLASSROOM • map • 360-734-8158 • temporarily closed

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