About People's

People's Food Co-op of Kalamazoo is a consumer-owned cooperative grocery store, bringing a full array of natural products and healthful foods to the community at reasonable prices.

You're sure to find high-quality, whole foods at People's with a focus on locally grown and organic...

  • Fresh, organic produce
  • Soup, sandwiches and more prepared in-house daily
  • Broad selection of bulk herbs and spices
  • Complete refrigerated and frozen sections
  • Full line of grocery and snack items
  • Vitamins and supplements
  • Health and beauty section
  • Gift items and much, much more

History

Economic pressures and popular movements in the late sixties and early seventies led to the creation of a great many food co-ops across Michigan and the country. Confronted with few choices for unprocessed, whole foods, people decided to band together and buy in bulk directly from producers and distributors. What has evolved from this over the past thirty-plus years is a thriving natural foods industry, with the co-ops at the core.

We were incorporated in 1973, and moved into our current space on Burdick Street in 1978. Though we encourage ownership, anyone may shop at the People's Food Co-op.

Why Shop at the People's Food Co-op?

There are lots of reasons to shop at People's, whether your concerns are for the planet, for our community, or simply for your own health. In addition to great food, PFC offers a place to come and learn about the issues that affect the food that we eat, our bodies and the earth that sustains us. The PFC is a not-for-profit, community-based answer to today's fast-paced, impersonal, corporation-dominated culture. In the store, we do our best to provide food that is:

  • Organic Most of our produce and many other products have been grown without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers or GMOs (genetically modified food organisms).
  • Locally grown We stock a lot of local organic produce (in season) and many other local products.
  • Free of chemical additives We stock a variety of prepared foods that are made without preservatives or other additives.
  • Radiation-free

People's also has a commitment to treading lightly on the planet. The following is a list of our environmental initiatives:

  • We recycle around 80% of our solid waste. Cardboard and all comingled containers that can be recycled in our area are.
  • With the help of local gardeners and farmers, we compost all of our deli and produce waste.
  • We offer a large selection of bulk products that are not packaged with excess plastic and cardboard, and we encourage shoppers to reuse containers.
  • We encourage people to bring in extra paper bags for reuse by other shoppers.

In addition, we are actively educating owners and non-owners on these issues and others of equal import. We feel that we have an unique opportunity to provide not just a food store, but to provide support to a community nurtured by good food and great people. Stop in the Co-op and see what is going on. Ownership is optional; anyone may shop at People's.