Natural Grocers offers nutritionist-led store tours in new ‘Personalized Shopping Experience’

Better-for-you grocery chain Natural Grocers has launched a new program called the Personalized Shopping Experience at selected stores.

Under the free, one-on-one service, customers can schedule a 30-minute store “walk-through” with a nutritional health coach, who will provide guidance specific to their dietary, health and wellness goals. Lakewood, Colorado-based Natural Grocers said Wednesday.

The Personalized Shopping Experience also includes individual recommendations for foods, supplements and body care; recommendations for sustainable and environmentally friendly household products that prioritize cleaner ingredients; education on ecologically conscious products and the impact of food choices; and a coupon to save $5 off a purchase of $25 or more. Shoppers with pets also will receive advice on better food and supplement options for cats and dogs.

Currently, the Personalized Shopping Experience is available in 110 of Natural Grocers’ 166 stores in 21 states. Customers can book a tour date and time online by choosing a local store from the dropdown menu. Locations without a nutritional health coach don’t offer the service.

“We are very excited to roll out this new service. We want to help take the confusion out of reading labels, shopping for supplements and meal planning,” Karen Falbo, director of nutrition education at Natural Grocers, said in a statement. “We want to make it easier and quicker to shop so that achieving personal nutritional health goals can be done with ease.”

Natural Grocers spotlighted the new store-brand canned seafood in a banner on its website. / Image courtesy of Natural Grocers

Natural Grocers-brand seafood gets more canned varieties

In other news, Natural Grocers said Tuesday that it has introduced five new varieties of canned seafood to its store-brand roster.

The new globally sourced, Non-GMO Verified items include Natural Grocers-brand albacore tuna, skipjack tuna and wild pink salmon plus two varieties of wild sardines (packed in water or extra virgin olive oil). All are 100% wild caught and sustainably harvested, with the tuna varieties being pole-and-line caught.

“We’re proud to offer our customers these affordable, premium-quality products that meet our rigorous Fish and Seafood Standards. In addition to prioritizing wild-caught and sustainably harvested fish and seafood, our vendor partners with small-scale fisheries, using practices that protect juvenile fish and unintended species from harvest,” according to Raquel Isely, vice president of marketing at Natural Grocers. “Red-listed species on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch are never used, because we choose to be responsible for the impact our Natural Grocers-brand products make every step of the way, from the ocean to your table.”

Launched in 2016, the Natural Grocers brand portfolio now spans more than 800 products. Recent additions include new varieties of wild-caught, sustainably harvested frozen prepared seafood; organic mustard; Epsom salts; and several new flavors of organic chocolate bars. Among upcoming store-brand products, Natural Grocers said, is sparkling spring water in non-BPA lined aluminum bottles.