Every time I come into the store despite living in the neighborhood and having multiple conversations with staff, I get followed around the store. The workers regularly target me because I’m Mexican and on one occasion I asked the security personnel who had been following me directly where I could find the item I was looking for and he pretended not to know what I was talking about. When I was about to just leave he suddenly stood back to reveal he had been standing directly in front of and hiding the item I had been looking for all along, I’ve said goodbye to the bulk food manager directly to have her directly stare me in the eyes with sheer hatred and and older woman at the deli counter glared at me for the duration of my shopping trip because she was being condescending and I told her so. The senior members of the staff target people and gaslight you after you try to confront them because they claim they’re just doing their best. My white partner confronted the store manager after I was followed around the store while looking for some dip (I was wearing a bandana so I know the workers were following me because the security member was regularly away from his post and facing a shelf in every isle I shopped in) and he performatively took my number and claimed he would be retraining and asking my direct opinion and I never got a callback. I’ve started making sure I go out of my way to go to other local stores all across town and not only is the quality better, I save money too. In fact every person of color I know that lives in the downtown Olympia area recommends avoiding this store altogether. So many people I know bus from their homes downtown to the coop or other stores because you will not be welcomed at this store. On top of that I got some of their bulk sea salt and it was brown and tasted gritty. Their produce is regularly overpriced and on the verge of rotting
I also want to point out that over the years it seems ownership has flooded the review page with their friends positive reviews because ALL of the negative reviews support what I just wrote here PLUS the owners NEVER respond. It’s clear they’ve gotten too cocky with their position in town. It’s an even louder form of racism to just have absolutely nothing to say when so many people have the same complaint. That speaks to something dark and institutional that ownership isn’t just unwilling to address but can’t because it threatens the hegemony they hope to create in the olympia scene. Which I guess is expensive low quality food with unfriendly service. Maybe it’s because I grew on the border of AZ/Mexico but I’m not used to this kind of uncivilized customer service
