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| - I love the Big Carrot. It has a large and varied selection, and I like the fact that all the products they sell meet strict environmental and ethical standards (even if it means that I need to go elsewhere the occasional time I want to buy something evil like aluminum foil).
I've always found the staff friendly and helpful. The cash registers are very well staffed, so I find the lines move really quickly even on a busy weekend afternoon. I really like the fact that it's an employee co-op, so the staff are earning a living wage.
Price-wise, it's more expensive than Loblaws, but cheaper than Whole Foods, at least on a general basis. Prices on individual products vary: some products are cheaper than conventional supermarkets (for the same brands), while others are significantly more expensive. But at the end of the day, I am getting better quality food than I would at Loblaws or Sobeys, for less than I would be paying at Whole Foods. I know some people here have complained that they can get food cheaper at farmers' markets, but my experience is that Big Carrot is often cheaper than the organic farmers' markets.
My criticisms are few. The main ones are:
The aisles are narrower than a typical supermarket, and staff tend to stock shelves during the day, so there are often "traffic jams" in the aisles during really busy times. Sometimes the staff stocking the shelves ignore the people who cannot pass (it's the one staff discourtesy I have ever experienced at the store).
The produce is fine, but they could do better. I really wish they would stock more vegetables from local farmers. Sometimes it's disheartening to see the produce at the Big Carrot after visiting the farmers' market at the BrickWorks. The fruits and vegetables section is certainly not as attractive as the one at Whole Foods. I don't need the produce to be food-magazine pretty, but they could certainly work on their selection and presentation. Too much of their stuff is shipped in from Mexico and similar places, even when Ontario produce is in season.
The Body Care department is fantastic, but their selection of men's products is weak, and they do not seem interested in expanding it. When I commented that the plastic disposable men's razors they sell are not particularly environmentally friendly, even if they are made partly from recycled plastic, I was told that the razors could be used more than once (i.e. um, like any disposable drug store razor). When I suggested that they stock DE-type razors and handles (far less waste), the manager simply pointed out that the plastic ones they sell aren't tested on animals. Both times I raised the issue, the female staff seemed uninterested in men's products and out of their league. It's fine if they do not want to sell DE-type razors or other men's products because they think demand would be weak, but it seems they do not want to offer them simply because they are not interested in learning about the products. I have no idea the gender breakdown of the staff in the Body Care department, but it appears that it could use some male input.
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