Latest news with #AbundanceCo-op
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will tariffs and bird flu bring higher costs this holiday season?
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — With Easter Sunday right around the corner, many parents may be concerned about what the Easter Bunny will be able to afford this year. Recent tariffs on imports, such as chocolate, have been raising concerns among customers while doing their holiday shopping. As the owner of Hedonist Artisan Chocolates in Rochester says though, there is no need to worry…yet. 'As far as tariffs go, we haven't seen it hit us the way that everyone thinks it has,' says Jennifer Posey. 'What were really looking out for is June and July. That's when we're going to see the difference. It comes from our suppliers and their suppliers, so it takes a long time to trickles down to us.' Posey says that the main factor impacting the price of chocolate is extreme weather across South America, as damaged crops have caused imported chocolate to go up roughly 200% in the past two years. Even so, Posey says she is proud of their ability to keep prices relatively low. 'As prices have gone up, we have tried to really hold steady on our price and only increase it a little bit,' Posey said. 'In fact, our prices have only increased 20% in the whole 18 years that we've been here.' For essentials outside of chocolate, Posey says Hedonist Chocolates were able to to buy many of their imported products, such as boxes and bags, before the tariffs were implemented. Chocolate on the other hand, isn't as easy. 'We make everything fresh by hand, se we're pretty neck and neck with it,' Posey explains. 'So as the prices increases, we have to eat those prices, or raise our prices. But for now, we're holding steady. Our prices haven't been raised for Easter, so it's a great time to come and buy chocolate right now.' Another staple of Easter, eggs. One of the most popular Easter traditions, dying and coloring eggs bright pastel colors, may be more expensive this year than years past. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average cost of a dozen eggs hit a record high of $6.23 cents in the month of March, largely due to a severe bird flu outbreak. In Rochester though, the Abundance Co-op have done their best to provide affordable prices. 'We've kept our retail price at $3.99,' says Abundance Co-op produce manager Nathaniel Foster. 'We've taken a slightly lower margin just to ensure our shoppers have access to those eggs at that price.' One of the main reasons for the lower prices, according to Foster, the relationships Abundance Co-op has kept with their suppliers. 'Some suppliers have had to raise their prices, and some have not,' says Foster. 'One thing that's great about being a small retailer is that we're flexible in sourcing our products. For some suppliers, they haven't raised their prices, so we haven't had to raise ours. With others, where the cost has gone up higher than our retail price, we have had to raise prices.' Although Abundance Co-op does have low prices, one thing they don't have, are white eggs, which are the typical choice for Easter egg festivities. Even so, Foster says they have had many customers take advantage of the low prices eggs, finding creative ways to decorate brown eggs. 'We do have customers that buy the brown eggs and do something different that just your standard dying, they do painting, and applying decals,' Foster says. 'I do think people are going to be seeking out a lower price point for white eggs, and we don't provide that at this moment, but I would image that could get a little tricky, and that some customers may have to resort to other options, like getting a brown egg.' Even with the scares if increased egg and chocolate prices, both Posey and Foster agree that, although some small sacrifices may have to be made, your Easter baskets shouldn't be any lighter than before. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Workers at community-owned grocery store in the South Wedge move to unionize
Workers at Abundance Co-op, a community-owned grocery store in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood, announced this week that they are unionizing—marking the first union effort in the co-op's history. Abundance Co-op specializes in local, organic, and sustainable products, serving the community with a focus on ethical and environmentally friendly goods. At Abundance Co-op, everyday consumers own shares in the business, its products are sourced from local growers, and shoppers prioritize natural and organic foods. 'We appreciate our work at Abundance, and we believe that with a union, we can build the structures we need to make the store better,' said Ben Fetterolf, a produce team member. 'We want to make the improvements we know will help realize the store's potential as a benefit to the community and workers.' Some of the proposed improvements include better communication between workers and management, stronger advocacy for internal concerns, and protections against unfair disciplinary action. Since going public with their campaign, workers have contacted Abundance Co-op management, hoping they will agree to a fair election process and uphold the co-op's democratic values: self-help, self-respect, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. 'Having a union at a consumer co-op is just common sense,' said Bailey Stevens, a front-end team member. 'The union is to the workers what the shareholders are to the customers. Everyone with a stake in the co-op deserves representation.' Workers filed for a union election on March 11. Abundance Co-op management has yet to respond to the union. When asked by D&C reporters, they declined to comment on the workers' unionization efforts. Bailey Stevens said the new union's effort is about keeping its culture and "keeping the ability to serve and put our community and customers first." —As a Rochester native, Justice Marbury entered the world of journalism to create work where voices like hers were heard—the voices of minority communities. Marbury covers small businesses, neighborhood concerns, and the interesting people who live in Rochester's 19th Ward. As the 19th Ward reporter, she has helped implement community outreach ideas by asking what people in various communities want to read about themselves in addition to regular news. Contact her on Instagram @justice_marbury and by email at jmarbury@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Abundance Co-op workers in Rochester NY move to unionize
