The Merc Co+op is celebrating 50 years in grocery this fall and, and we hope you join us for the festivities coming up, which include our Board of Directors serving cake this Saturday in Lawrence and Sunday in KCK, local and Fair-Trade samples, and an open house event at the Watkins Museum of History. While looking back at the evolution of our co-op through the years, we also look ahead at the current changes underway. As we gear up for the holiday season, we’re excited to share updates on the final phases of our renovation project and the installation of our new coolers.
The Lawrence plastic bag ban takes effect tomorrow. The Merc Co+op removed plastic bags from our registers in 2013, and the paper bags we provide are 60% post-consumer recycled material - in other words, it’s business as usual. We appreciate this step our Lawrence government is taking to encourage a more sustainable future!
The Merc Co+op is excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Change for our Community program. “Change” gives shoppers the opportunity to donate their spare change to local organizations every time they shop. Each month, a different organization is featured as the recipient, and 100% of all donations collected go to that specific organization.
In fiscal year 2022, we - as a co-op community - raised $85,484. Since the program began in January 2014, we have raised over $601,000 for 57 local nonprofits.
October is Fair Trade Month, and Fairtrade America is launching their fourth annual campaign to generate broader awareness Fairtrade certified products. This year, The Merc Co+op’s Lawrence store was selected! Mural installation begins the week of September 11.
We, the co-op’s Board of Directors, condemn discrimination and racism in our justice system. We stand with the Black community in effectuating change to fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality. We support the creation of policy that eradicates this pervasive evil that has plagued our country for far too long.
All co-op owners are invited to attend monthly board meetings. Meetings are generally held on the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. This month’s meeting is virtual. Please email board@themerc.coop for a link to join. Early in the agenda, the board reserves ten minutes of space to hear from owners who wish to address the board.
You can contact the board by filling out the form below or by email at board@themerc.coop.
Click here to learn more about our board and view board meeting minutes.
The Merc Co+op's Board of Directors is comprised of nine co-op owners who are elected by the general ownership and serve a three-year term. Any co-op owner can run for a board position. Participating in co-op elections is your ownership in action – get to know the owners who represent you! Meet Barbara Clark.
In an effort to encourage social distancing, your co-op’s Board of Directors will meet virtually on Monday, April 6 at 6:00 p.m. In the absence of an in-person meeting, the board is inviting interested owners who wish to join in virtually to contact Anthony Lang, Board President, at board@themerc.coop by noon on Sunday, April 5.
In an effort to better serve our greater community, your co-op is implementing the following temporary service changes.
Effective immediately, we will temporarily suspend special orders of all kind.
We will not allow any holds on items of any kind at this time.
We will implement limits on high demand items such as toilet paper and rubbing alcohol.
The health and safety of our co-op community remains our highest priority. We thank you, in advance, for your understanding.
In an abundance of caution, your co-op has decided to suspend hot bar and salad bar service to devote production time to packaged prepared foods. In addition, cafe seating will be reduced to half capacity to better align with the Health Department and CDC’s recommendation on keeping distance between people/parties.
Our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of our staff, members, shoppers and class attendees. In the interest of our community, and based on decisions made by other local and national organizations regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), we have decided to cancel all remaining cooking and community classes scheduled for this month.
You co-op will testify in support of HB 2401 - a bill that would lower the quorum for food co-ops in Kansas. The bill will be presented at a hearing in the House Federal and State Affairs committee on Thursday, January 23 at 9:00 a.m. Former co-op board member and current Representative Boog Highberger is responsible for introducing the bill - first in March 2019. He, alongside KU Professor Edwin Hecker and the co-op’s Marketing Director, Valerie Taylor Richardson, will testify.
Next summer we will be one co-op with three locations! After 45 years of making good local food available in Lawrence, Kansas at our store at 9th and Iowa and our Co+op Cafe at the Lawrence Public Library, we are excited to open our downtown Kansas City, Kansas location! Even though it's cold outside, there is significant progress being made on the construction of the store.
The Merc Co+op is excited to announce the recipients of the 2020 Change for our Community program. Our Change program gives shoppers the opportunity to donate their pocket change to local community organizations each time they shop. Each month, The Merc Co+op chooses a different Change recipient and all donations collected that month go to that specific organization.
