What It’s Like to Manage a Grocery Co-op

In our What It’s Like series, we speak with people from a wide range of backgrounds about how their lives have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For this installment, we spoke with Jon Roesser, the general manager of Weavers Way Co-op, Philadelphia’s largest grocery co-op with three locations. The co-op, which is controlled by members but open to everyone for shopping, is sustainably minded with the aim to source products that are local, ethically raised, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Roesser and other grocery store employees have been deemed essential workers during the pandemic. They’re risking their health and safety daily to make sure the rest of us have access to food and other necessary supplies. During Philadelphia’s stay-at-home order, Roesser has been making home grocery deliveries to members of the co-op who are sick or who are taking care of someone who is sick.

Here, Roesser explains how the coronavirus has changed his job, how he’s keeping his team and clientele safe, and how the grocer he works for has extended paid sick leave and wages for staff. (The below exchange details Roesser’s personal experience and perspective. His answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)

SELF: What was an average workday like for you before the pandemic?

J.R.: As the general manager of a fairly large three-store food cooperative, before the pandemic I spent a good deal of my time managing our external relationships and planning for the future. My work was usually related to business at least 6 to 18 months out. Now the pandemic is always at the forefront. It influences everything we do, day in and day out. There’s no way to put it on the back burner, and it’s very difficult to think beyond getting through the next week or two.

How has work changed since COVID-19 reached Philadelphia?

I’m spending a lot more time in operations: cleaning, monitoring crowd size (we have customer caps at all three of our stores), doing home deliveries, and whatnot. I cannot ask my colleagues to work under the stress and anxiety of being on the front line if I’m not willing to do it myself. The pandemic has had the effect of clearing our plates of anything else; in that respect, it has simplified our day-to-day and helped us prioritize.

Talk to me about how you’re feeling.

Physically I feel fine. Emotionally I’m exhausted. I cry every day. There’s only one major fear, but it is omnipresent: that this virus will hit us, that it will make one or more of us sick, that we will, in turn, make our loved ones sick.

How did the cooperative prepare for COVID-19?

Before it was required by the state, we required all employees and customers to wear masks inside the stores. We’ve installed Plexiglas guards between cashiers and our guests, as well as implemented strict social-distancing procedures with six-foot markers on floors and limits to how many people can shop at once. We encourage only one person per family to shop at a time to help reduce the number of people that come into our stores and have increased our curbside pickup and home delivery capacities for members. Our delivery and curbside pickup are prioritized to members who are high-risk, ill, or exposed to the coronavirus. Our hours have also been slightly reduced to allow us to deep clean and restock each day.

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We have closed down our self-serve bulk bins, as well as the hot and cold self-serve food stations. At one of our locations, we’re taking preorders on bulk bin items ranging from spices and tea to pasta and flour so that customers can still stock up without having to self-serve. Our hot bars and other self-service food stations at all our locations have been closed and are now filled with easy grab-and-go meal kits.

What are you doing to make your staff feel secure?

All the precautions in the world don’t change the fact that grocery stores are one of the few places where people can still come together. It’s stressful. To give our employees even more peace of mind, we have increased everyone’s hourly wage during this time.

We’ve implemented just about every reasonable safety precaution you can think of including hourly handwashing breaks and amped up disinfecting routines. We have an ample supply of reusable cloth masks and gloves from a mix of vendors. We’re trying our best to rotate staff to give them more time off. We closed on Easter Sunday—something we’ve never done. We’ll close on Memorial Day.

What is the store’s policy if a staff member gets sick with COVID-19?

We urge employees to stay at home if they’re feeling sick or have been in contact with someone who is sick. A staff member will be sent home right away if they come into work and don’t feel well. The store will also be closed for cleaning and sanitation.

We believe and always have believed in a fair wage for our employees, with the addition of medical, dental, 401k, paid vacation, and sick time. All employees have paid sick time they’re able to use and have been given an additional 14 days of sick time on top of whatever sick time they’ve already accrued.

Are shoppers acting differently?

Our customers, most of whom are member-owners of our cooperative, have been amazing. They’ve taken all of the new rules and restrictions in stride and have continued to support the co-op.

Our number-one goal is to keep our staff and our shoppers safe during this time, and our members understand that. Our shoppers have been patient with us as we’ve continued to update our services and policies. We’ve been getting positive feedback from customers on our progressive protocols, delivery, and curbside pickup. People have been commenting and showing their appreciation and support through social media.

Do you see a lot of stockpiling?

Stockpiling took place over a roughly two-week period in late March. Since then, no, not really. We’ve put customer limits on certain items, including four rolls of toilet paper. Since late March customers are shopping for more perishables: fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, meat, and seafood.

What items have been selling out in the last few weeks?

At our three stores we’ve seen lots of changes in consumer shopping patterns due to the need to stock up and stay at home. For example, at the start of the stay-at-home orders, toilet paper and tuna sales skyrocketed. Perhaps not surprisingly, comfort foods like ice cream have been popular. Like all grocers, we’ve seen a huge spike in sales for flour and yeast as everyone’s at home experimenting with becoming bread bakers.

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How is the store meeting the demands of increased shopping?

We work with hundreds of local vendors and can be creative in working with those vendors to ensure adequate supplies. We don’t lose out by relying on faraway markets with long supply chains that have been stricken with more severe problems. Foods that are from far away, especially bananas and avocados, are sourced through fair-trade partners. Our membership numbers have surged.

What are your biggest frustrations working for a grocer during the pandemic?

Human interaction is dangerous, and our entire business model pre-COVID was based on human interaction. Adaptation has required us to turn our culture on its head, to tell our customers to shop less frequently, to leave their families at home, to avoid long conversations. It’s all counter to our culture.

But we receive continuous and heartfelt messages from our members and customers. I love what I do. I have the opportunity to work with incredible people to serve our community at a moment like this when they need us the most.

What are your concerns about your health?

Watching the news can be scary when you hear stories of perfectly healthy people contracting COVID-19 and dying, leaving behind a spouse and family. I’m doing whatever I can to stay healthy for myself and my family. I try to rest mentally and physically as much as possible. I have been making sure to spend two days a week away from the stores.

What’s keeping you positive throughout all of this?

Our community has showered us with affection and continued to support the co-op despite the inconveniences of customer caps and reduced hours. My colleagues have been a nonstop source of inspiration. The esprit de corps I witness every day is profound.