Steep Hill Board: April Update
April 29, 2021
The Steep Hill Board held its monthly meeting yesterday (on Zoom, as we’ve been doing for the past year). One of our regular items for discussion is, of course, how to keep our customers and staff safe during the pandemic. Andrée reported that customers have all continued to wear masks in the store and respect physical distancing when there are several people shopping at the same time. Those who prefer not to shop in person appreciate still having the option of calling in their order for pick-up. We are very grateful for the cooperation and patience of our members and staff during these challenging times.
We also talked about pricing. In February 2021 we switched our pricing system so that non-members pay the marked price; members receive a 3% discount and working members a 6% discount. (Previously, the marked price was the one that working members paid, with members being charged 10% more and non-members 25% more.) As we’d hoped, this new approach is much clearer for non-members, while members enjoy getting a discount at the till.
To allow for the member discounts, we had to increase our prices across the board. Last night we discussed the need for ongoing price adjustments so that we can offer our members the lowest prices possible while still covering our expenses and remaining competitive with larger stores. We are also always exploring ways of increasing our sales, as the more we sell, the lower we can make our prices—so please encourage your friends and family to shop at Steep Hill! And if you would like to be a working member, please ask at the store for an application form; while positions are limited, we love to find ways for members to become more involved in the co-op by contributing their skills and time.
Feedback from members on these issues and anything else is always welcome. Our board meetings are open to members, and the next one will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday, May 26. Contact us at board@steephillfood.ca. And watch the newsletter for details on our AGM on Wednesday, June 23 (on Zoom again).