The Co-op: Low Prices on the Items You Want

by Joshua Jackson, Merchandising Manager

February 2020

When I shop at our co-op, I save 12% compared to Haggen, 4% compared to Whole Foods, but save 1% at Fred Meyer, but I keep my money local

This graphic above is based on 269 products in common among all three stores and the Co-op. 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. Comparisons for grocery, produce, body care, and supplements are included below.

The Co-op Is Your Go-To Grocer: Low Prices on the Items You Want

We take our goals of providing community access to affordable healthy food matched
with honest information very seriously. This comparison is one way we maintain transparency while measuring our success toward affordable healthy food access.

This year’s comparison included our three top competitors (parent company noted in parentheses): Whole Foods (Amazon), Haggen (Albertson’s), and Fred Meyer (Kroger).

the Co-op continues to provide pricing lower than Haggen and Whole Foods and ever so slightly higher than Fred Meyer

Like previous years, the Co-op continues to provide pricing lower than Haggen and Whole Foods and ever so slightly higher than Fred Meyer. As a relatively small local business competing against the biggest grocery chains in the country, we are proud of the work our community-owned co-op does to ensure that our prices compare favorably to all three of these tough competitors.

Competition is intense in the natural food category. In the early days of the Co-op, our store was the only grocer in town focused on selling organic, local, natural, and bulk foods, but times have changed and many of the items once exclusively available at co-ops and natural foods grocers are more widely available. Corporate grocers took notice of the growth in organic and natural foods and moved into the marketplace.

In our recently completed comparison, our competitors had a large number of items in common with the Co-op: Whole Foods had 2,348 of the same items, Haggen had 1,664, and Fred Meyer had 1,476.

the Co-op is in a great position to be your main grocer

So, what does that mean for shoppers? It means the Co-op is in a great position to be your main grocer, particularly given that our prices either beat or compare very favorably to our corporate competitors and our selection of local items can’t be beat.

Additionally, our shoppers consistently report that they choose to shop at the Co-op because of our knowledgeable staff, rigorous product standards, and to keep their money circulating locally while supporting an organization that gives back to the community.

With local farm development programs like the Farm Fund, initiatives that increase access to fresh healthful food such as Veggie Rx, and our award-winning sustainability measures, we are happy to conduct this annual price comparison and verify that we continue to provide competitive value while positively contributing to our community.

no other grocery store comes close to our blend of high quality products, great value, and unparalleled contributions to a vibrant community

We hope you agree that the cooperative business model—that takes into consideration people, profits, planet, and purpose—is why no other grocery store comes close to our blend of high quality products, great value, and unparalleled contributions to a vibrant community.

Grocery Price Comparison Data

Data summary:
Haggen: 1,030 items compared; prices are 8.18% higher than Co-op
Fred Meyer: 959 items compared; prices are .03% higher than Co-op
Whole Foods: 1,266 items compared; prices are 2.26% higher than Co-op

Produce Price Comparison Data

Data summary:
Haggen: 73 items compared; prices are 24.31% higher than Co-op
Fred Meyer: 74 items compared; prices are 5.72% lower than Co-op
Whole Foods: 102 items compared; prices are 6.67% lower than Co-op

Produce price comparison Haggen, Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, Co-Op with produce costing 24% more at Haggen, 6% less at Fred Meyer, 7% less at Whole Foods

Body Care Price Comparison Data

Data summary:
Haggen: 508 items compared; prices are 11.18% higher than Co-op
Fred Meyer: 301 items compared; prices are 1.14% higher than Co-op
Whole Foods: 520 items compared; prices are 10.97% higher than Co-op

Supplements Price Comparison Data

Data summary:
Haggen: 126 items compared; prices are 5% lower than Co-op
Fred Meyer: 216 items compared; prices are .99% higher than Co-op
Whole Foods: 562 items compared; prices are 2.5% higher than Co-op