Store Policies

Learn about policies and procedures affecting First Alternative Co-op locations,  including recalls, returns and refunds, grounds policies, and more.

Co-op Code of Conduct

At First Alternative Co-op, we strive to create and maintain an environment to shop, work, or gather that promotes respect and safety for our staff, customers, vendors, and community members. To this end, we have established the following policy regarding our expectations of customer behavior:

Respect for All Individuals: We expect all customers to treat fellow customers, staff members, and vendors with courtesy, dignity, and respect, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. Discrimination, harassment, threat, or any form of offensive behavior, imagery, or language in person, via electronic communications or online, or in the community, will not be tolerated. We believe in fostering an environment that embraces diversity and we actively work toward creating safe spaces for people with marginalized identities, especially those at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities.

Personal Space and Boundaries: We expect all customers to respect personal space and boundaries of others. Physical contact, unless consented or necessary, should be avoided. We expect everyone to maintain a comfortable distance and to refrain from any behavior that may make others feel unsafe, including unwelcome sexual advances, inappropriate identity-based comments or inquiries, or creating an unsafe situation or conversation that harms or has high potential to harm the physical, mental, and/or emotional well-being of a person in an irreparable way.

Respect for Property: We expect all customers to treat Co-op property and product with respect. Theft, vandalism, and other deliberate damage to property or product will not be tolerated.

Policy Compliance: We reserve the right to take appropriate action to ensure the well-being and safety of our customers, staff, vendors, and community members. Failure to comply with this policy, including inciting others to violate the policy, will not be tolerated and may result in a range of actions. These actions may include: verbal warnings, requests to modify behavior, temporary suspension of service, or, in extreme or repeated cases, may result in termination of employment, Ownership, and/or vendorship status, and banning from the premises.

Our Commitment to Customers

Our staff and board members commit to adhering to the above expectations to proactively foster and maintain an inclusive and equitable environment. Additionally, we endeavor to continuously review and improve our policies, procedures, and training programs to ensure that they align with our commitment to inclusivity. We actively seek feedback from our customers and use it to refine our approach and address any potential barriers to accessibility or discrimination. You can submit feedback via our Contact Us form and view other customer feedback on our Customer Comment Board.

Product Policies

First Alternative Co-op proudly stands behind all our products. If you are not satisfied with the item you purchased at First Alternative Cooperative, please return it for a full refund or store credit.

Proof of purchase is required for a return. You can bring in the receipt, the product, or container. If you do not have a receipt, often a receipt can be retrieved from your account history if you are an Owner, or using other details such as the day of purchase or the last 4 digits of a credit/debit card used. If the product is under $5 and considered ultra-perishable produce, then we will be happy to extend store credit without proof of purchase.

Returns should be brought to Customer Service for processing. Products can be returned at either store location despite which First Alternative location they were purchased at.

We have a commitment to our owners and the community to provide products that fall within our high standards of quality, focusing on nutritional, environmental, and social concerns.

PURPOSE
In accordance with Executive Limitations Policies L-7 and L-10, the following Product Selection Guidelines seek to balance First Alternative Cooperative’s service to our customers and our financial viability with our commitment to the nutritional, environmental and social concerns in the Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles. The Management and Staff will use the following criteria to select and purchase products:

QUALITY

  • First Alternative shall emphasize and be a reliable source of fresh, high-quality, organic products (as defined by the USDA certification program) which are free of artificial ingredients or preservatives, genetically engineered organisms, antibiotics, or growth hormones; whole foods which have under gone minimal processing; and natural products which are free of artificial or harmful chemical additives, and/or artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
  • Dairy, fish, poultry and meat products shall be organic or free of growth hormones and/or antibiotics as much as possible.
  • First Alternative will not knowingly carry any meat products that are derived from DNA cloning or reproductive cloning.
  • First Alternative will not knowingly carry products with added trans fats. Naturally occurring trans fats are acceptable.
  • First Alternative shall seek to diminish products that contain genetically engineered or modified foods (also referred to as Genetically Engineered Organisms or GMO’s), or products, which contain GMO’s.
  • As of January 1st 2014, First Alternative Cooperative buyers will no longer knowingly accept NEW non-organic products that include GMO high risk items in their ingredient list, unless they are verified by a third-party verification agency or can provide to us a detailed description of the measures they have taken to avoid GMO contamination. With the exception of WIC items, animal products, body care products and supplements (at this time), this new policy applies to all products in the stores. These high risk items currently include: alfalfa, apples, canola (rapeseed), corn, cotton, soy, sugar beets, yellow summer squash and zucchini.

COMMUNITY

  • First Alternative shall offer and give selection priority to local products that are primarily grown and produced in the Willamette Valley, Oregon and the Northwest.
  • First Alternative shall support and encourage other cooperatives and community endeavors.

AFFORDABILITY

  • First Alternative shall offer a selection of low cost products, which satisfy basic nutritional needs.
  • First Alternative shall have a pricing structure which addresses the economic diversity of our shoppers.
  • Comparable food items shall be evaluated, to the best of our abilities, and selected to have the best nutritional value for the most affordable price.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • First Alternative shall give preference to those products which require the least transportation and result in the least pollution.
  • First Alternative shall promote and seek to provide minimally packaged products whenever possible.
  • First Alternative shall encourage responsible recycling efforts, using recyclable or biodegradable packaging within our store and will work with the community to increase recycling practices.
  • First Alternatives shall offer a diverse selection of bulk items as an alternative to packaged foods.

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

  • First Alternative shall not knowingly buy products that involve inhumane treatment of animals.
  • First Alternative shall not knowingly buy products from those that do not have fair and ethical practices in their workplace.

CURRENT PROHIBITIONS

  • Irradiated food, tobacco and nicotine products are prohibited from being sold at First Alternative.
  • All products and all special orders that contain any chocolate ingredient (e.g. cocoa powder, cocoa butter, chocolate liquor, cocoa nibs, etc.) shall meet one or more of the following criteria:
    1. Certified Fair Trade or comparable standard (ex:Rainforest Alliance Certified)
    2. Certified Organic.
    This requirement shall be rescinded only by a vote of First Alternative Owners.

PROCEDURE
Monitoring of these Product Selection Guidelines will be preformed annually according to First Alternative Board Policy practices.

First Alternative Co-op stands behind the products we sell. Accordingly, we will issue a full refund for any product that has been recalled by either the manufacturer or any regulatory government agency. Recalls will always be communicated to customers our the Recall Notices section of First Alternative’s website.

Recalls are actions taken by a firm to remove a product from the market. Recalls may be conducted on a firm’s own initiative (voluntary) or by any governing body, like the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Store & Customer Policies

First Alternative Cooperative does not tolerate hate speech or symbols on our property or within our place of business. As a business, it is First Alternative Cooperative’s right and responsibility to provide a safe environment for staff and customers.

Hate speech is defined as a direct attack against people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, mental or physical health status, religious affiliation, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, houselessness, veteran status, refugee status, or immigration status. Prohibited hate speech or attacks include violent or dehumanizing speech, verbal or symbolic harmful stereotypes, statements of inferiority, expressions of contempt, disgust or dismissal, cursing and calls for exclusion or segregation. The portrayal or use of hate symbols is prohibited, including wearing clothing with hate speech or symbols visible to staff or customers.

First Alternative Cooperative has the right to refuse service to any individual who violates the hate speech and symbols policy. Individuals who violate this policy will be asked to leave the property, and if they refuse, First Alternative Cooperative reserves the right to take further action as deemed necessary, including a no-trespass order from the police department

Oregon law prohibits all animals except for service animals in grocery stores, restaurants, and other food establishments.

Service animals are trained working dogs, NOT pets. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Dogs or therapy animals whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals according to the ADA, even with a doctor’s note.

At First Alternative Co-op, we’re here to serve our customers, Owners, and community to the best of our ability. That’s why we’d like to remind all shoppers to kindly use a basket or shopping cart to carry your groceries while you shop. Not only does this help the Co-op staff reduce theft by making merchandise leaving the store more obvious, we also hope it will make our staff’s work to ensure all items are rung up at the register easier, because all of your items will be in view. Supporting this policy will help us maintain proper pricing by reducing accidental and intentional retail theft

Grounds & Use of Premises Policies

First Alternative supports citizen’s involvement in their community and government. We support your right to engage in activism and education and ask your support of our right to regulate use of our premises. If you are interested in tabling at First Alternative Co-op, please submit an application.

You may table outside of our store and hand out information, talk to our customers, or collect signatures. You may not sell merchandise of any kind, raffle tickets and coupon books included. First Alternative Cooperative has over 13,600 individual Owners who subscribe to many different political beliefs so tabling or petitioning for candidates for office is not allowed under this policy.

We require that you schedule your tabling/petitioning event at least two weeks prior to its occurrence. Only one group is allowed to table/petition at any given time. Your request will be reviewed, and you will be notified about your eligibility to use the Co-op grounds at least one week prior to your tabling/petitioning date. Each request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and the Co-op reserves the right to deny access for any reason.

When you or others in your group or organization are approved and come in to table/petition will be asked to fill out and sign the form below that acknowledges you have read and understand these rules before you begin your event.

You will be asked to retain this sheet to refer to while you are conducting your tabling/petitioning. In order to make certain our customers and staff are comfortable, and while allowing you to petition or table, we must ask that you follow these terms carefully.

  • No more than two representatives per organization may use each Co-op property at one time. Check in at the Customer Service desk and talk to the Person in Charge (PIC) before beginning.
  • You may set up two chairs and a small table (provided by you, the petitioner) in the designated space:
    • North store: 4’ space, at the end of the long cart corral on the south side of the building
    • South store: North entrance – 4’ space, between the Deli Prep Area windows and the ATM. South
      entrance – 4’ space, under the solar panels in front of the bicycle parking area unless it is plant
      season and we will find another location for you.
  • You may display a sign on your table informing passersby of your purpose for being there. This sign must be tastefully made. Any sign that is deemed inappropriate must be removed immediately, upon request of the PIC.
  • You will be given a sign for display on your table that says the following: “The Co-op supports citizen’s rights to petition. Allowing this action at the Co-op does not indicate that the Co-op endorses this petition/organization.”
  • You may not enter the enclosed area of the store, except to use the restroom, access water in the café area or shop.
  • You may not approach customers or staff, but must wait for them to approach your table. Once they have approached you, you may explain to them your reason for signature gathering or tabling.
  • Please do not park representative vehicles in customer parking spaces.
    • At the South store you may park in the cul-de-sac, in the gravel lot at the BMX track or in the gravel area near the railroad tracks.
    • At the North store you may park in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • First Alternative is a & organic food store; as such, we ask that you not smoke anywhere on the premises
  • If the petition pertains to the Co-op, for example – a potential referenda, you will be required to adhere to the rules established by the Board Recruitment and Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors in addition to these rules.

If you are unable to abide by the above terms, you will be asked to leave the premises, your represented organization may be contacted and your privileges and/or your represented organization’s privileges for future signature gathering and/or tabling will be revoked.

Due to the impact of the signs on ingress and egress from the parking lots, larger volume of requests than we can accommodate, and out of respect for customer complaints we do not allow yard signs to be placed on the property. Community members and organizations are welcome to use our bulletin boards to display posters about their cause or issues within the Co-op guidelines.