The Merc Co+op

Seven years ago, The Merc Co+op in Lawrence, KS, took a bold step toward sustainability by partnering with Cromwell Solar. With 688 solar panels spanning their rooftop, pergola, and carports—plus four EV chargers for customers—they’ve been reaping the rewards ever since. This system offsets 29% of their energy needs, will save $1.8 million over 25 years, and prevents 330 tons of CO2 emissions annually. A lasting example of how solar can drive both environmental and financial benefits for communities! Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gJQJtYhf #solar #solarpowered #solarpanels #solarinstallation

Attention food truck vendors and event planners! Food safety and the licensing process can be daunting when you're getting started - join in a free session from our partners with the Kansas Department of Agriculture at our KCK store, and get the answers you need to operate safely as events season ramps up. https://lnkd.in/eQhMNk9b This is a free food safety course for food trucks, food tents, and event planners. Learn more about how to reduce risk for foodborne illness, like holding food at correct temperatures, improving safety in food preparation, date marking, avoiding cross-contamination, and maintaining a safe and clean facility.

Our Board of Directors met for their Annual Retreat Saturday at the Hollis Renewal Center in KCK. "After our recent Board of Directors' Annual Retreat, I felt an incredible sense of privilege serving on the co-op's board and an even greater honor as the President...following this retreat, you can expect your board stays updated on co-op trends to help us achieve our goals and most importantly we will consider our owners, community, and partners in all decisions." Melissa Hayes-Williams, Board President Read the blog post and learn more about the owners that represent you at www.themerc.coop/board

Through our MercWorks program, co-op owners are rewarded for their volunteer efforts with co-op coupons! It's our way of giving back to the folks who give, and another way our co-op supports the local organizations that create meaningful, lasting impact in our community. Whether your passion is food, sustainability, equity, community - get involved with organizations making a difference! Is your organization interested in becoming a MercWorks partner? Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/dBBHX2CZ Are you a co-op owner interested in earning coupons for volunteering? Sign up on our website: https://lnkd.in/dTNS88pv

Celebrate this Black History Month by learning more about the history and contributions of Black-owned Cooperatives - like the Freedom Quilting Bee, pictured here. The cooperative business model has been a means of social and economic solidarity for hundreds of years. "At the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the quilters of a small, rural town in Alabama founded the Freedom Quilting Bee. The woman-led cooperative used their craft skills to establish new forms of income and expand their quilting audience. This female-led artistic cooperative put Gee’s Bend quilts in front of national audiences through art auctions, commercial partnerships, and museum exhibitions. Through its commissions, quilters secured resources such as electric lines and telephones, washing machines, school supplies, and transportation." from the @baltimoremuseumofart, Photo: Birmingham, Ala. Public Library Archives. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e8KXdsyg

Who owns your grocery store? Food co-ops are owned by shoppers! Anyone can shop at The Merc Cop+op, and everyone is welcome to join. Learn more and invest in a local business that prioritizes community, sustainability, and inclusion on our website, at the link in our bio.

What sets our grocery stores apart? Cooperatives adhere to values not unlike those we subscribe to as individuals: self-responsibility, democracy, equality, honesty and social responsibility. Anyone can shop here, and everyone can join! Eight basic international principles serve as guidelines to provide a democratic structure for co-ops around the world. Learn more about your local co-op on our website at www.themerc.coop/about

Thank you to our GM Rita for over 19 years of service to our co-op on her last day! Rita is the longest-standing GM in our cooperative's history. Under her leadership, the co-op has taken deliberate strides to become a more inclusive business through product selection, pricing, customer service and work culture. She led our store rebrand in 2015, the installation of Lawrence's largest solar array to date in 2018, and expansion of our co-op in 2020. We congratulate her and wish her the very best as she pursues the next chapter in her career.

Introducing our January Change for Our Community partners! Round up for the Lawrence Farmers' Market at our Lawrence location, and for Cross-lines Community Outreach at our KCK store! 🍅🥬🥕 "The Lawrence Farmers Market is a non-profit farmers' market with a mission to improve access to local, healthy, affordable foods to everyone in our community - every Saturday, April - November. As a producer-only farmers' market, our vendors grow, harvest, raise, and/or craft their items within 50 miles of Lawrence, ensuring you know how your food is grown and reducing your carbon footprint and waste." 🛒🍎🥦"Cross-lines Community Outreach is a local non-profit organization that connects individuals and families experiencing poverty in Wyandotte County to hunger relief and housing stabilization services. Cross-lines operates a Community Market which aims to provide low-income households with nutritious groceries in an effort to combat food insecurity. The Community Market offers a more dignified experience by providing a grocery store-like atmosphere where households can choose the foods most appropriate for their families." Learn more about these amazing organizations and all our partners for 2025 at our #linktree #roundup #changeaddsup #changeforourcommunity

We're hiring! Our Director of Operations serves on our management team, building leaders at our co-op through effective expectations, delegation, coaching, accountability and mentoring. They are responsible for department and store financial results including sales, margin, production planning, inventory and labor. Learn more and apply at the link below!