 Well, good morning. Good afternoon or good evening whenever you're listening. This is Davisville on KDRT LP 95.7 FM in Davis, California We live at KDRT.org online. I'm Bill Buchanan I'm the host and I thank you for tuning in again for our latest zoom interview session With the pandemic we don't have access to the studio right now. So we're recording these programs on zoom So if it sounds a little different, that's why Well, the pandemic has closed or curtailed most stores with a notable exception, a type of store that almost couldn't close I'm talking, of course, about grocers So what's it been like running and working in a food store during the COVID-19 pandemic? Has the experience changed as shoppers adjusted to the new conditions? And are there any insights here for other Davis retailers or really for any of us as other stores plan their own reopenings? I guess today to talk about this are two employees of the Davis Food Co-op, the longtime Davis grocer on F Street Madison Soya, the co-ops education and outreach specialist and Laura Sanchez the operations manager They're here joining me by zoom today and they've got their masks on so if they sound a little muffled That's why it's part of the adjustment. We're all doing these days Madison and Laura. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us today Thank you for having us So we should just maybe say that maybe if you each just say your name so maybe people can help keep you straight Sure. I'm uh, Laura Hey, I'm Madison Okay So, uh, well, let's just start with the question. I mean you're you're running a grocery store during the pandemic I'm just curious. What's that like on your side? I should say I'm a member the co-op myself my wife and I for years So I've been in there and I've seen the shopping and seen everybody working What's it like from your side of the the counter so to speak? Yeah, I think that um, if we go back to the beginning originally, you know, seeing even before the shelter in place just seeing a huge influx of people preparing which Was great for business. We saw increase in sales in specific departments like packaged grocery our wellness and Was really great for the first part of March when we're talking about sales wise And we were able to meet the needs when a lot of grocers were having Corporate grocers were having issues keeping things in stock our commitment to local vendors and Sourcing from local farmers kept our supply Sustainable and we were really appreciative about that. Um, and then You know people kind of scaled back shelter in place hit and we definitely saw that as well And I think that's when staff started to feel differently about being at work quite honestly and That was one of the things I was really proud of being The operations manager here at the co-op being able to adjust with what the staff needed You know, there were different feelings about coming to work and we had open door Communication about, you know, what people felt we did put safety at the forefront and Told people don't come to work if you don't feel ill or if you feel ill no matter how Small it is we wanted to be safe and protect everyone right off the bat stocked up on You know sanitizer and gloves for the staff and Put up barriers at our registers before any of that was implemented or mandated by the county And just try to be on the precautionary end of that piece And I think now we're finding a new normal, you know We are seeing a decrease in our customer traffic But the basket sizes are bigger and we're still able to Deal with that And keeping our restricted shopping hours for those that we recognize our You know at risk in our community and being able to Put health and safety at the forefront having people at the door sanitizing the carts You know frequently cleaning our bathrooms with a deep clean and virus side And just making sure that we're ultra aware of all of those things that we can do and that are in our power to continue to do throughout the pandemic That's a pretty thorough answer. There were actually several questions I might have asked that but you've already answered them and one was going to be you know What steps have you taken and I think you just listed them all you had one phrase in there that I'm not familiar with You said larger baskets. Does that mean like the amount of purchase? Yes, so in our if you're looking at our customer shopping trip The purchase size has gotten significantly bigger to what it was prior to the pandemic. I think it's almost a 86 percent increase than it used to be and which is good I mean, that's kind of what the county and the public health department is saying less trips bigger baskets And so we see people at the co-op are following that Okay Well, let's see. We're talking in the first week of may and so shelter in place has been in yolo county for Not quite two months yet or so and you talked about sort of people getting to a new normal I know the first couple of weeks, you know, like I would go in there if you wanted hand sanitizer You had to get it, you know one at a time there at the service desk. I noticed that's back out on the shelves now I guess I'm wondering have our shoppers relaxing a little or people sort of getting used to this change Yes, I think so. Um, I think that when our distribution centers are able now to level out and the panifying has subsided a little So people aren't, you know, stop piling and that makes more availability and also recognizing the quantity limits And just staying in touch with our different suppliers for those Very sensitive items and making sure that we're trying to get those in and as we do and they become Regularly available. We kind of lift the quantity limits on those so that people can buy one or two But I think that's what's nice about being here in the co-op We can switch if we see that a change is needed immediately to be able to provide for the community as a whole So madison your education and outreach What's that job like during a pandemic? What kind of outreach and education do you do these days? It is a lot different during a pandemic. So Usually we would have events on the patio or classes in our teaching kitchen And we're still trying to keep our sense of community with the co-op And we're transitioning that to be online. So we've been updating our Website blog more frequently with recipes and some videos that are like cooking classes So that way it kind of feels like you could still come to the teaching kitchen and learn how to make something We've been having some Giveaways on our social media or a few competitions on our social media to try and keep our community still involved in the co-op Okay, so there are still things you can do. I guess that's part of the big Change everybody's making right is is going from more physical presence. Whatever the job is do more online Obviously, of course a grocery store is a physical presence. You have to go physically and obtain the food Laura, you'd mentioned earlier about sales being up and I noticed I think I got this from the national retail Federation national retail federation reported in april the grocery sales had risen 26 from the year before Now a big piece of that I gather is online sales But I mean so but the sales are up at the co-op that it sounds like right you do you have any How are you guys doing financially with this? Are you doing okay? Yes, I can share You know the beginning of the year prior to pandemic We were already in a pretty good financial spot seeing pretty good sales growth for the first quarter those In the second quarter of our year We were doing pretty well as well in the beginning prior to the pandemic and then the big spike in sales Definitely gave us an extra boost to where our second quarter ended up being almost 11 up and being able to You know have a good financial beginning to the year allowed us to ride the ebbs and flows that did occur and We we are in a good spot now and you know, that's truly because the beginning of the year We were we were pretty decent and going into the pandemic. We did well and like I said Sourcing our food from local retailers where a lot of corporates were getting from the same spot and couldn't fulfill their shelves That kept us alive really and so we thank our local farmers and our our local Suppliers because that that kept us in stock Yeah, I wanted to ask how your supply lines are doing I know the co-op does source differently than the larger the conventional grocers do and I know from what I read You know suppliers sometimes have they they can't get the food Into the channel or they sold to restaurants and the restaurants aren't don't nearly have the demand they did or in some cases They've you know closed all together are your suppliers Are they doing okay? Yeah, for the most part. There's uh, some smaller manufacturers that just shifted to increasing production on High demand items versus some of the lower demand items. So we do see that but We have really good communication with a lot of our distributors and they have communication with manufacturers So anytime we are hearing that that's coming over the horizon for different products We're able to move quickly and look for other sources if it is a vital item So if a supplier is changing in other words, you're saying you can adapt to that because you have you see it coming You hear it coming. Oh, yeah We we our suppliers give us weekly updates, especially with cobit 19 and the supply chain seeing Some changes like that. We were in the loop almost weekly about what was going on from the main distributors and also What they were seeing from manufacturers and changes in in different productions So, you know, one of the questions every shopper has this question, you know, why are certain things scarce and continue to be scarce and You guys work in the business. I want to ask you toilet paper and flour Seem like two major ones. It was sanitizer earlier, but now that seems more available What's your take on that? Why? Because it's not a supply problem, right or or is it Uh, I mean, is it a problem with flour and toilet paper or is it just that people are still Wanting to acquire that whenever they see it and that just sort of empties the shelves Yeah, I think um, at least I could say for some things people are still wanting to acquire large amounts um And talking to some of our customers. They're also shopping for a neighbor Family member someone that can't leave so they are taking more Quantities than, you know, just for an individual person Which makes a difference if they're coming into shop for two or three people They're picking that up all at once versus we see that throughout the week And so in some items. Yes, we have seen that and I would say some of the things we are getting back normalcy in in staple items and Something where we see that a lot is our bulk department. So yeast flour Things like that. Um, we are seeing back, you know, to normal levels Okay, so at some point then looking for flour on a grocery store won't be like A straig hunt a difficult It's been that way sometimes I I gotta say Yeah, I feel sorry. I think that People's habits at home are changing right they're not going out to eat as frequently A lot of people started baking at home, which they weren't regularly And so that was a demand that a lot of manufacturers didn't see and you know, at the end of the day It comes down to production at the very beginning. And so if that's something we could not have foreseen Then how could they, you know, manufacture that quickly? So I think it was kind of a catch-up game for some some manufacturers We're to a quick station ID here The program is Davisville and I'm bill Buchanan the host on kdrt lp 95.7 fm in davis, california And my guests today are two employees of the davis food co-op Madison soya who is the co-ops education and outreach specialist and laura sanchez the operations manager So, uh What do you hear from your customers during the pandemic? Uh, you guys have a suggestion box, uh, you know, i'm I've always thought grocery stores get the entire range of people in town, right? I mean Everybody needs food not necessarily the all shop with co-op, but you're going to see a wide range of people What are you hearing from people? What are you? What are you taking from what you hear? And that's a very broad question, but I'd be in whatever answer you have So we've been hearing a wide range of responses um from our community about Everything that we've been doing everything that the yolo county all the guidelines yolo county has been putting in place We now have somebody stationed at the door to make sure that people are wearing masks when they come in Um, and that's where we get a lot of our feedback and that's where we get a lot of our positive feedback so there's people who Are coming into the store and when we tell them that everything's already been sanitized. They're very grateful People in the community are very happy that we're staying open. Um And then there's also people um who are referring to us as first responders We're not medical first responders, but We're still co-op staff members who are still coming to work putting themselves at risk Um in order to keep our community fed and healthy okay I mean are you not that you not that you're all bartenders You know where people come in and tell you uh what they are But you must get a sense of uh the mood of of your shoppers overall broadly How has the mood been and how has it changed if it has changed since uh, this all started in march People who are coming into the store. Um Originally coming into the co-op. Um, everyone would be like pretty upbeat. Um, it's a community grocery store. Um There's a big sense of community whenever people come into the store But now standing out at the front when I welcome people into the store when the person out front welcomes people into the store They say hi and some people are really happy and upbeat, but I know that with all the changes that are going on in yolo county, some people lots of people Everybody is still adjusting to all of the changes They feel kind of confused when they come into the store because they have to wear masks The feeling in the store feels a little bit different because things look a little different. There's new rules But we're still trying to keep that that sense of community in the store. Okay Hard to predict the future, but it looks like the pandemic is easing to a point where other stores might be able to reopen at least somewhat uh You folks at the co-op have done something now that not many people have you have run a business through the pandemic And you've you've stayed open you've had people inside and all that. I mean, I'm wondering What kind of insights maybe or advice you might have for other retailers? Or or maybe for shoppers as well as we kind of get back into stores Um as as the stores reopened, right? What advice do you have? Um, I think you know running store operations Putting safety and health of your your employees and your and your your customers first You know, I we do daily Store huddles in uh open space before we open and then later on in the afternoon Just to check in on the team and give them the latest update. They want to know what's happening. What did we change? Acknowledging that they are working through a difficult time and that they are appreciated and You know doing that every day day in and day out so that you Acknowledge that coming to work is not easy sometimes you know, some of our staff has family members that are vulnerable At home and you know, they get concerned about that risk and I think Just simply acknowledging and also checking in individually and seeing what people need I think businesses who open need to prioritize that first um And then secondly, I would say be prepared to be flexible and adaptable things can change from one day to another and You need to figure out how to adjust and Being able to do that and be flexible Well, we'll keep you going and keep you safe and keep your store Operating as smoothly as possible in these times And I would say for staff be ultra cautious with yourself Don't come to work if you feel a small tickle in your throat We are still being extra cautious and and allowing people to take the time that they need To to feel well and letting them know it's for their own protection and the well-being of you know, our Our own little community, which are our staff so Okay Yeah, so if I was sort of summarizing that it sounds like you're saying, you know pay attention to yourself Acknowledge that it's a changing situation and Give it time give it time to To figure out what it is you're going to do how your customers are doing things like that Right Yeah, I think um one thing I would add to that is hearing customer feedback some people have a lot to share and knowing that um Sometimes you are that place where they're they're sharing some of their confusion their frustrations And it's it's a difficult time for everyone So just being understanding and and a little bit sensitive and a little bit caring and and knowing that You know, there may be some other frustrating factor before they come to your store But just you know being a an ear too is sometimes what people need because they're at home all day And this is their one one time they may interact with someone so Yes My wife and I've talked about that grocery shopping is almost a recreation now. You know, yes Yeah, one time we get out And that's an interesting comment and I think that's insightful about you know, people might come to you With something that has nothing to do with the co-op, but you're handy you're there Have you had any moments like that that you can talk about? Maybe as employees there yourself either of you Yeah, I think for for myself, um in the very beginning Just phone calls regarding things that were happening or inquiring about product and um turn that conversation turning into something about You know just being nervous about all the changes and you know, people started to open up a lot and it was You know, I I had a customer that broke down on the phone and and started crying and I just said It's hard for all of us right now, you know, and I probably spent 30 minutes on the phone with that customer, but You know, it's difficult. I can't imagine my mother my aunt my own sister having no one to to share those feelings with so Yeah, we've we've had those moments and I think it's It's a different time for all of us. So yeah You know madison, I would imagine in in the area of education and outreach You might even be more likely to to run into that, you know, you have a session Um We'll call on your skills. I guess is what I'm saying as someone who's used to working with people who I imagine you are Have been when um managing our social medias Um, so I get a lot of questions or a lot of direct messages on there about people who have concerns about What measures we're taking in the store? And whenever I get any messages on social media, I make sure to be very transparent and understanding with the person Who's reaching out to me? And then also an education component. Um, and with our huddles It's part of my job to keep the staff educated. So Um, about once a week, I'll give a little talk about safety about how to take care of your mask Um, and about how to keep proper hygiene on the floor to make sure that you're staying safe and other customers are Okay, pretty practical advice yeah We have about five or six minutes left. I wanted to ask a little bit. Um Is it uh, have you had conversations yet about how the pandemic might change Shopping I know generally there's this idea that there's going to be more online Generally, at least until there's a vaccine and maybe until confidence levels increase people are going to be less inclined to want to share public spaces uh, again, people still need food, but uh Have you guys started to think about that how that might change shopping how it might change the co-op? Yeah, we have actually started that discussion a lot in the last couple weeks and One of the bigger things the co-op has not had is an online presence in the past and so We worked really hard to figure out how to get that up and running. Um, so we are actually doing a soft launch on friday On our website for curbside pickup and online shopping And that's a really new innovative exciting thing for our co-op. We have not endeavored into that space yet. And so We're excited about that and the team is excited about that and something that we may not have thought about this year and maybe that was five years down the line, but We're ready to to move forward on that and we are excited to to do that and talking about other type of Um sales or operations we can do so that we minimize contact still because You know, we don't know how long this will go and we do know people will be cautious And we want to still be able to provide for them without the fear of coming into the store We've also uh, we have on our patio a window that used to be for um a beer on tap And we've changed that it's attached to our deli and people can come And pre-order meals that are made and refrigerated Cooked off all they have to do is heat it up and they can actually walk up to the window pay With their credit card or debit card and we just you know hand it off to them across the window They don't even have to come inside the store. And so adapting and changing is something we've talked about a lot in our our You know just having to do to know that we need to cater to our needs for our customers right now and our ownerships So we're we're excited about that So we're actually we're talking on wednesday may what is today wednesday may 6th i think so when you say friday, that's the uh Okay, so that'll be When people hear this i'll be in the past, but that sounds like that'll be an ongoing service where you'll to deliver Is that in davis or yolo county or? Yes, sorry, uh, we will start out with curbside pickup So like a lot of restaurants you just pull up and we will ask if you want to load it into your car so we don't make contact and you can pay online prior to your to showing up and um And maybe the next level of that is delivery. Um, but we're taking it in phases Okay, so a few minutes left. I wanted to ask a couple of general questions. Um What's something that people haven't understood about the grocery business during this pandemic? Anything that you know when you talk with your friends that like I say a common misconception people might have I don't have no idea what that would be Yeah, I think uh something i'm hearing a lot from my own family. Uh, a lot of them are state county workers. Um, privatized um that we're all at to work at home, you know, and I'm still going to work every day. Um, and I think that people didn't think of grocery workers as essential in the past and And now we're very much more appreciated than than before and I I was kind of shocked at first to hear that from my own family. Um, but just saying hey be careful out there and You know, you're brave for going to work and I I hope that that stays with people knowing that You know, it's more than just stocking shelves. We're providing food for the communities and if we weren't here I don't know who would be doing that. So I hope that's something that that has changed and will change forever in people's minds The perception of what we do is more important than just stocking shelf Yeah, I mean, I I suspect the pandemic has um got people thinking differently about a lot of things that that you know We used to take for granted You know just an ordinary day and food was a classic one, right? You go to the store You buy what you want. You're on your way. You hardly think about it You might have a fine experience, but you don't really think about it um What have you learned about davis from this pandemic? I think I have learned that there is a bigger sense of community than people know A lot of the comments on social media and things we were hearing from our shoppers were protect your staff and people donated masks when we were still trying to source where to get those from and Some people sold them. Some people put post-it notes, you know contact me if you need more and You know that was good to to be the place where people wanted to give and protect us as part of their community and and I think that Like matt since it people being thankful and it just has felt more like we are taking care of each other in davis Then we ever have yeah Well, we'll have to we'll have to end it there. I've come to the end of the half hour We've been talking with madison soya and laura sanchez of the davis food co-op Thank you again. And by the way, you know, it occurs to me. This might be the first interview anyone's ever done At least at the station with people in masks And you're sharing an office there that's why you're doing it I mean, I'm not wearing a mask, but I'm at home and so I really appreciate you both talking through your masks That's gotta have felt pretty unnatural Anyway, thank you for uh for talking with us today I'm bill Buchanan. This is davis phil on kdrt. Thanks for listening and we'll be back