 |
| me and miss lucy--she made me some buttons and was pretty proud! |
a few things have gone down this month, some good/some bad. first our second saturday veg cookbook turnout was less than stellar. it was super disappointing! not so much that i won't keep putting on events like that but if you rsvp to something try to make it, k otherwise folks like me get discouraged and feel like they are playing to an empty theater. people from around the internet have made comments like "i wish you were closer, or someone did something like that here" and they mean it. there are a handful of vegan shops around the country and i feel damn lucky i can barely keep this roof over our head. which leads me to the news of several vegan shops closing this month.
cosmos, panacea and one more that is escaping me at the moment are having to shut their doors for various reasons, but mainly they boil down to walmart-like natural food stores competing for business, lack of support and the realization that vegan foods can be found just about anywhere if you look--which is a great thing--but activists want to put their time in where it is most needed. (and in the case of cosmos, go on to bigger and better things.)
now, we are a little different in that respect where i would like to think i am a specialty boutique especially with the food items we carry. i have always said i would like to think of myself as the vegan child of herbivore and foodfight! grocery mixed with my love of handmade crafted goods. with our handmade items i focus on vegan items from vegan companies/crafters i want to support, and half are friends of mine or people i have admired online for years! we have branched out into vegan used clothing which is awesome, vegan vintage which i LOVE and housewares everyone loves! unique items that are vegan--you don't have to read labels! woot! that goes for food items too. i can't compete with safeway down the street or our natural foods coop's food items but what i can do is offer items you won't find there--even at wholefoods if you shop there. there are SO MANY up and coming vegan companies that need support and you need their noms, i feel i can have a cozy, stocked grocery area that is worth coming to shop. i hope the whole store is worth coming to shop! {i think it is!}
 | |||
| my new company crush, cool corc. you have to feel this material to believe how lush it is. and check those floral fabric dms. totally cool. see what i did there? cool & cool...all on one table. i slay me. |
that idea brings me to the newest idea we have which is turning our grocery section into a food coop of sorts where supporters/members can buy a yearly membership and have a voice as to new products we carry/products we don't and can get a discount on their purchases w/no cap. there are two levels of membership for 10 or 15 % respectively. it's like a cross between a buying club and a food coop but the one thing that makes it different is that it is and will always be vegan. that means, that is not negotiable. it's open to the public of course, they just don't get the discount like members do. how cool is it to be a supporter of a grass roots vegan coop? i think it's super cool. i hope others do too as the word gets out that we are willing to commit to this idea. eventually there will be worker shifts for an additional 5% off, and also discounts to members who hold events for the coop to raise awareness. eventual dividends can go to an animal charity of our choice, via votes and there will be a private FB group for general discussions, product recommendations etc.
 |
| our coop membership cards mock up. fancy! |
i don't know if anyone has tried this before and failed but i am not looking for horror stories--i believe in this idea and i hope the vegan community in our area does too. non-local people can be members too! the discount would apply to online shopping via a discount code given to them upon purchase of membership! you can always just donate to help us get off the ground and grow our selection to serve the community better...HINT HINT!
 |
| remember, this is why we are in business. animal rights, and outreach. not to get rich or anything. if that was my goal i would have opened a fro-yo franchise! LOL support your local vegan shop! or you will find one day they are no more and you would be more bummed than you think :) |
ok. in other event news, tomorrow our friend beth of little monsters pet care has arranged for cookbook author lindsay shay nixon of happy herbivore to meet and greet at the shop between 1-3pm tomorrow sunday feb 20th. low fat vegans unite and come by the shop and get your cookbook signed by the author :)
*feel free to email me at info@neverfeltbettervegan.com if you have any questions of any sort. hit me up!
Posts
