Natural Grocer’s

Realize that YOUR natural Grocer’s prices may be different than ours. But in Eugene, OR the prices are LOWER in most cases than Trader Joe’s. I like them. They have a liberal return policy that is about as good as it gets, especial when you are trying new products. Not everyone will do this, especially with things like cheese (it was non dairy cheese). They have a lot of items we can’t find elsewhere. Staff people are helpful and they have a ‘no bag’ policy that I appreciate, because they GIVE BOXES. Plenty of reasons to shop here.

Where do I begin… When you buy the last of something, fat chance it will be restocked by the next trip, if at all. Prices are way high. Just saw a bottle of Cranberry Juice for over $ 10! Wtf? Staff is less than enthusiastic. With the exception of two. The girl with the dreads is always helpful. And either Travis or Trevor that checks us out is pretty good. Absolutely NO ONE has any sense of urgency. Takes forever to check out. Never had to re-​slide my payment card because of timing out like i always do here. Checkers think they need to strategically put each item in a place. Even taking things out of bags and rearranging them. And after assuring them we have plenty of bags and aren’t particular where things go. It ridiculous. Gave them 2 stars because at least they carry Organic and Non GMO products. All I can say is… Come on WHOLE FOODS!

Organic ginger and every other store in town is $ 11 a pound or more it’s $ 3.89 a pound and natural groceries, produce prices are amazing! They don’t carry everything and they have some weird stuff but it still highly recommended!

I just moved to Eugene and I was so excited to see all the wonderful healthy & organic produce & products here. They have a great selection of kombucha at great prices! They even had my favorite meatless brand Quorn and a lot of brands I had never seen before. I was really impressed and to top it all off when I checked out I think the owner was behind me and when he heard it was my first time he went and got one of their reusable grocery bags and gave it to me for free! (:

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Why?
The produce is easily the BEST in town – LOCAL, ORGANIC (their produce is almost exclusively organic!!), and beautiful. They have a somewhat smaller produce section than other local markets who are larger in general, but they emphasize LOCAL and seasonal – I’ll take it. And honestly, their prices are significantly cheaper than almost every other market in town.
The staff are TERRIFIC! They’re friendly and clearly like what they do and the people they work with. It makes for a very comfortable atmosphere.
They carry a HUGE selection of non-​mainstream brands, loads of gluten free and organic choices.
I notice one reviewer’s dismay over Natural Grocers carrying products by companies who supported anti-​GMO labeling: while I agree with her, it is dismaying that anyone would carry those products, they do have to remain competitive, and I think (since labeling laws did not pass), at this point it’s on the consumer to know what’s-what. With that said, I’ve noticed that some of their more popular alternative brands that aren’t committed to being non-​GMO and organic have been taken from the shelves. I can’t complain, it saves me time reading labels – which I do (and so should YOU!). And to be honest, it’s refreshing to see company focusing on consumer desire/​demand and refrain from being status quo. Hooray and go team!
They also carry a lot of products I haven’t seen elsewhere, so I’ve been glad to discover a new range of organic breads, crackers and dairy products.
Their meats are very expensive – not their fault. That’s the current state of affairs in the meat industry. Grass and organic fed, free-​range meats are spendy. They also don’t have a huge selection of these, but I don’t eat much meat, so you won’t hear me complaining. I just don’t buy it here.
They have a reasonable deli section – but no deli counter, which is a little bit of a let-​down.
There’s a terrific bulk spice and tea aisle – hurray! You can find organic teas and spices in large quantities for outrageously small prices.
A large section of the store is dedicated to the Vitamin Cottage product line – a supplement line that is popular. I don’t take supplements, but it’s nice to know that there is a good place to buy if I need to. They also sell the usual variety of alternative toiletry products – natural and ayurvedic toothpastes, deodorants, etc. etc. and their prices are about standard.
I have to drive across town to shop here – and it’s worth it. I actually enjoy my treks to Natural Grocer – I always have pleasant and humorous exchanges with the staff, I am wowed every time I visit by the beautiful produce, and I have developed a real fondness for some of the products they carry that I have never found elsewhere.
I’m a fan!

I love this place!!! Their service is excellent and their prices are MUCH better than Super Supplements down the road. Not only that, they offer more of a variety. I made the mistake of buying a bottle of vitamins in Super Supplements and when I went in, with my receipt to exchange it I was treated horribly. With Natural Grocers it was easy. I purchased an essential oil burner that was too small and they gladly exchanged it, no questions asked. Their prices for grass fed organic meats are very competitive as well. So glad they’re here!

I was really excited about this place opening. Now that the place has been open a few months I am left now feeling disappointed. Here’s why:
I voted YES on 92. I was happy to see that Natural Grocers seemed to support the GMO Labeling cause — did you see all those signs everywhere? And yet upon closer inspection as I shopped in the store I realized that they carry brands that supported the anti-​labeling cause:
…Odwalla and Simply orange — Owned by Coca Cola.
…Izze — Owned by Pepsi.
…Cascadian Farm, Larabar, Muir Glen, Annie’s — General mill’s.
…Burt’s Bee’s — Owned by Clorox.
…Sweet Leaf teas — Nestle USA.
…Plum organics — owned by Campbell Soup Co.
…Alexia — owned by ConAgra Foods.
…Knudsen and Santa Cruz brands — owned by Smucker’s
They also carry Wolfgang Puck, Silk, SODelicious — all companies which spent money fighting against the labelling of GMOs in Oregon and elsewhere.
I just think if you are going to support a cause, you should support a cause. Not say you support a cause and then profit by selling products that are fighting — and spending millions of dollars — fighting against the cause you are supposedly supporting. Maybe that’s just me.
There are other things I began to dislike about Natural Grocer’s as i got to know the store more:
Horizon dairy products. Really? They got rid of Noosa yogurt, but they keep selling Horizon products. Horizon has a really bad reputation for adding unlabelled synthetic additives to their products and still labeling them «organic». Not a company to trust.
The produce may be 100% organic but rarely is it local. The carbon footprint in many cases is quite massive. Also, the quality of the produce is hit or miss. Moldy coconuts, bruised-​up apples, wilted basil an mint, and dried-​out looking citrus… but the greens were usually nice. We have much better alternatives here in Eugene and Springfield. I’d rather support our local economy and get fresher food that has less of a negative impact on our environment.
Bulk is not actually bulk here. I asked an employee about their bulk and was told that it is all shipped to a main distribution center in Colorado (where the corporate headquarters is) and then repackaged and sent out to all the stores. Again: massive carbon footprint and also what a huge waste in packaging. Not a fan. Also — I thought one of the good things about buying in bulk (aside from reduced packaging/​trash/​waste) was so that you only buy as much as you need?
No fresh flowers. Sad.
No wine/​beer. Sad.
No salad bar. Not a big deal but then they have these salads in this cooler that I tried and they were the same salads you can get at Albertson’s next door. The stuff they have in the cooler that is like ready-​made food is all stuff made off-​site. Nothing fresh, local, like fresh cut up fruit or veggies. No roasted free range organic chickens. No in-​house made soups. Nothing like that.
No coffee/​tea area. No deli. No meat counter. No bakery.
Also something that bothers me about shopping here is how haphazardly things seem to be merchandized. You have to walk all over the store to find anything. I needed a salad dressing… well the employee had to walk me to two opposite ends of the store just to show me where to look. Same with tortillas. And finally when I found the tortillas I liked — they moved them. Meat? Two different areas. Two different areas for alternative milks… OH… and that’s another thing…
Carrageenan. I was really surprised to find so many products with this ingredient in them. Look it up — it’s a nasty one. And it is especially prevalent in alternative milks. For Natural grocer’s to choose not to sell wine or beer in an area known for great wine because it’s supposedly unhealthy (according to the reason I read on the website) and then choose to carry products containing carrageenan… again… another example of Natural Grocer’s wishy-​washy standards.
Also, the 5 cents I can usually save myself when I bring my own bags? I don’t even get the choice. They say that they donate it to Food for Lane County. That’s great and all, but I’d like a choice, you know? I actually volunteer at Food for Lane County and I’d personally rather keep my quarter every time I shop. It adds up, you know? I am almost afraid to write this because it sounds petty, but really I feel a bit resentful when a place of business just tells me what to do rather than giving me options.
Because I get these free postcard/​coupon things in the mail from Natural Grocers — free cheese, free soap, five dollars off produce, free chicken — I will probably go in when I get a freebie like that. But I don’t think we will be shopping there other than that. OH which reminds me — for two of those postcard things we got in the mail they were out of the item when we went in to get our freebie, which was disappointing. Took us three tries to get our free chicken. :(It’s probably just a sneaky way to get people in the store? Worked for us, I admit it

Organic and locally-​sourced foods, knowledgeable staff.

I really like this place so far, I’ve been about 5 or so times now, usually just for snacks or a missing ingredient for dinner. The only gripe I have is how expensive some things are, but that cant be helped considering things are the same price in other places. Staff has been incredibly helpful to me when I needed something specific and walked over with me to find it instead of just telling me an isle number. Definitely a good place to shop.

Poor Quality, overpriced, disappointing, friendly staff and large selection of supplements
The free samples and coupons did their job and got me to come back several times. At my first visit, I was happy to see new yogurt brands but disappointed to discover that they have no beer or wine. I tried a new yogurt (from New York) and was shocked by its unpleasant clashing flavors that would not taste good with anything. I threw it away, which is saying something because I am quite frugal. I was disappointed again when I bought squash for too much money and had it mold within a few days. The snack crackers, tortilla chip and hot-​dogs were poor quality and over priced. They do carry «Taste of the Wild» catfood but for a much higher price then mini-​pet mart. I did like the Pro-​Bar that I bought there, which I hadn’t had before, but this is not enough for me to place this store high on my list for preferred grocery stores.

I’ve gone back a couple of times, and their customer service was much better. Good sales, too.

Easily my new fave healthy supermarket in town. Good prices, great coupons that net you free items, and lots of local fare. Good to have a chain in town to give MoC a run for their money. I enjoy MoC too, especially the beer selection, but it can be a bit on the pricy side.

Before this place opened, there was quite a bit of buzz about it. The rumor seemed to be that it would be a challenger to Whole Foods/​Market of Choice. After visiting several times, I can assuredly confirm that this store is in no way a competitor to either of those chains. In fact, it has some glaring deficiencies that will prevent it from being a regular stop for me.
For one, its meat/​seafood selection is virtually nonexistent. In fact, I didn’t find it until my second visit. It’s tucked away on the upper level of a shelf in the refrigerated department, and despite the store’s assurances that the offerings are fresh and/​or local, they certainly don’t look the part in their vacuum sealed packages. I would almost feel better buying organic or local at the Albertsons store next door.
On top of that, this store offers no beer or wine of any kind, which seems odd, particularly as there is almost certainly a huge market for organic, kosher, or alternative alcoholic beverages in this town. However, this is not the place to find such elixirs.
If you are gluten-​free, vegetarian, vegan, or any of those other trendy varieties of food things that I seriously don’t understand, this may be a good store for you. However, if you’re an avowed omnivore like I am, this will probably be one of those places that you stop once in a blue moon for a weird vitamin or supplement that you can’t find anywhere else (or because you just forgot it on your run to Costco).

Natural Grocers recently ended their over a week long grand opening and now are officially open. I have mixed feelings about yet another Natural Food Store in Eugene, but will try to do an objective review.
Kudos for Natural Grocers in for not using plastic or paper bags in Eugene or any of their other branches in the US that has saved 100 million plastic bags from landfills since 2009 (enough to go from NY to Los Angeles a whopping 6 times.) I think other Natural Food Stores, Grocery Stores and all stores should do the same. It doesn’t cost that much to buy a canvas bag and other stores charge money for plastic or paper a dime, but should be $ 1 or more. Natural Grocers does sell canvas bags for $ 1 which is great to turn on people!
Great that they have 100 percent organic produce and the products that they do carry are conscious. I feel that they lose points for putting all their bulk from grains to nuts etc in plastic bags. This is a paradox. Bring back the bulk bins. Even more mainstream grocery chains such as Fred Meyer, Safe Way, or King Soopers have bulk bins or the mainstream meets natural food store meets Whole Foods aka Market of Choice.
I also feel that Natural Grocers is super paleo. Having been an ethical vegan for 15 years I can’t help, but to to look at Natural Grocers extensive books for sale seeing only one vegan title and a few raw foods titles among the 90 percent paleo books.
I definitely feel that Natural Grocers is better than Trader Joe’s and all other mentioned grocery stores above, but still feel that living in Eugene I still choose to support Sundance, Grower’s and Kiva. Sundance is several notches above Natural Grocers for the following reasons:
*Better, fresher, and more diverse range of all organic produce including wild crafted
* the store is nearly all vegetarian except for for a few cans of wild tuna
*Less corporate and friendly vibe
*Better bulk selection with labeling the specific source of all bulk items (super rare to see)
* Amazing hot bar/​cold bar that is nearly all vegan/​all vegetarian (one of the best on West Coast)
*Open earlier and latter
I believe in a green economy and voting with one’s dollar. So, Sundance and Grower’s will get the majority of my votes but still feel occasionally supporting Natural Grocer’s is a good balance.

I’ve been hearing a lot of hype about Natural Grocers, and opening a location in Eugene. About a week or so ago, I received a coupon in the mail for $ 10 off my order, along with a free reusable bag and a bottle of Vitamin D3.
I’ve been trying to eat healthier overall, which, as most of you know, isn’t always cheap. I’d heard Natural Grocers had more reasonable prices than most stores on organic and all-​natural products, so I decided to give them a shot, as it had opened just a few days ago.
Entering the store, a friendly woman welcomed everyone, and offered free samples of some peanut butter concoction (I don’t remember what because I can’t eat peanuts) and some cheddar rice crackers, which were pretty tasty.
Looking to not spend a whole lot, I decided I’d just buy ingredients for nachos. Because, well, because nachos!
One really cool thing about NG, is knowing anything you put in your cart is organic, or all-​natural at the very least.
Finding everything I was looking for was pretty easy, as the store is not all that large, and has a pretty basic layout. The one thing I had some difficulty finding was the guacamole, but an employee happily guided me to its location. Employees there were all very helpful, and very friendly. I never had a problem finding an employee to answer my questions.
Prices overall seem to be cheaper than Market of Choice, Capella, etc; and comparable to the natural and organic items offered at Fred Meyer. Compared to Fred Meyer, shopping at NG is probably a much easier and more of a laid-​back experience. A few price examples:
All-​natural free range boneless, skinless chicken breast: $ 6.29/ lb.
Organic medium cheddar cheese: $ 4.55 for an 8-​ounce block.
Produce overall appears to be where NG stands out as far as pieces go. Most of the produce appears to be cheaper than anywhere else in town for organic. I didn’t buy any, but the produce looks really fresh and the section well-​organized.
I did not peruse the section where the vitamins, supplements, etc are, but it takes up about ¹⁄₃ of the square footage if I was to guess.
NG does not offer paper bags, so you’ll need to bring reusable bags, or they have boxes you can use, like Costco does.
Overall, I was quite impressed with NG, and look forward to continuing to shop there.