Stock

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Stock storage

How to seal bags

See Sealing things properly for more info

What product goes where?

Shop-specific storage locations not noted, as these are likely to change during Co-op relocation.

Location Type of product

Freezer

Pies, pastries, patties, icecream

Fridge

Tofu, tempe, kombucha, baked goods, dairy

Barrels

Dry non-perishable products we get in bulk quantities: Bulk flour, beans, lentils, grains, pasta, selected dried fruits/nuts/snacks

Clear plastic containers on shelves

Dry non-perishable snacks: Nuts, dried fruit, chocolates, tea, spices

Snack bar contents (update)

Dried fruit  Apricots  Blueberries  Cranberries  Crystallised ginger  Fruit mix  Goji berries  Inca berries  Mango  Papaya  Persian figs  Pineapple  Prunes Nuts  Brazil nuts  Cashews  Hazelnuts  Macadamias  Nut mix  Pecans  Pistachios (raw)  Pistachios (roasted and salted)  Walnuts Snacks • Apricot logs • Pretzels • Sesame fruit & nut bars • Trail mix • Yoghurt frogs (vanilla) • Yoghurt frogs (strawberry)

Where to put excess stock

Product Area

Rice, oats or muesli (sealed bags)*

On shelf under snackbar, once bags are opened fill everything in barrels, use two if it doesn’t fit in one: one for display, one as extra stock above cereals/flour barrels

Large opened bags (cereals, grains, legumes..)*

In blue/black lid barrels (but still in bag) above legume barrels with a handwritten label.

Nuts (except pistachios)

In freezer (inside bag closed with rubber band), preferably small storage freezer next to liquids shelf

Medjool dates, date and coconut rolls, date and almond rolls

In the fridge

dried fruit not stored in fridge, chocolate coated items

In labelled box or blue/black lid barrel above legume barrels with handwritten label

milks

Heavy, do not store above soy milk and cans display.Instead store on shelf under milks display or behind waterfall picture below.

Cans Behind waterfall picture under milks display. Make sure you keep things in logical stacks.

products for the liquids shelf*

under the till

Soaps, bags, extra honey or olives*

Above liquids shelf

Pasta

Up on the top shelf above legume and chocolate barrels

Teas

In labelled plastic tubs behind black curtains under peanut butter machine

Herbs and Spices, Chocolate

In labelled plastic tubs behind black curtains under peanut butter machine. Do not use this space for other random bags of stock please

Freezer items: pies, veggie patties, ice cream

In big storage freezer (toploader under scales)


Pre-jarring products

Some products we stock should be pre-jarred for shopper convenience and to avoid mess and food safety issues with customers having to fill their own containers. Such products are generally pastes that come in large containers. Examples: Tahini

  • Olives
  • coconut butter
  • chocolate coconut butter
  • Liquid products. Eg oil, vinegar, cleaning products (do these when space, bottles and vollies are available, though they are not a priority as liquids are faster and easier to fill than pastes)

In general, anything pre-jarred/bottled will sell faster.

Jarring process

  • Fill and price a jar with the product, like you would when buying it, but use a sterilised jar from the co-op.
  • Add a label to the jar with the product name, price for the particular amount of product in the jar, and the words ‘please rinse and return’.

Bulk Ordering

Bulk ordering allows members (not available to non-members) to purchase goods we don't stock in the coop, and to buy large quantities of goods we do stock at reduced prices.

The goods members can order are generally limited to those available from our current suppliers.

If a member is interested in bulk ordering, they should contact the Groceries Coordinator either through leaving their request and contact details in the ordering book or by contacting orders@thoughtfulfoods.org.au.

The price multiplier/markup on bulk orders is low: 1.3 for non-working members, and 1.05 for working members (i.e. members who regularly volunteer at the coop, or who have a one-off vollie discount and choose to use it on bulk orders)


Group bulk order/ policy

Thoughtful Foods (TF) supports bulk orders for groups undertaking community activities consistent with the values outlined in its Constitution. TF reserves the right to accept or to refuse bulk order requests. To ensure that everything runs smoothly and that coordinators and volunteers have sustainable work hours and workloads, there are some important procedures that must be followed. These are:

Contact person and volunteers Groups must:

  1. Agree to act respectfully and communicate clearly with TF coordinators and volunteers.
  2. Provide one contact person who is the official liaison between TF and the group.
  3. Provide volunteers to help receive deliveries and put stock away.
  4. Volunteers must be current, active members of TF and must have attended volunteer induction so TF is covered for insurance.
  5. The number of volunteers will depend on the size of the order and will be agreed upon by TF and the group at a planning meeting.

Timeframe and steps for bulk orders

  1. Groups must provide at least one month’s notice to the relevant stock coordinator.
  2. The group’s designated contact person must be available to meet with the relevant coordinators within a week of giving notice of the intended order.
  3. At this meeting, a clear plan of deadlines, processes, what is requested, what is possible, number of volunteers required, and other relevant information will be agreed. The group must follow this plan unless changes are jointly agreed by the group and the coordinator.
    • Note: planning discussions are exclusively for planning purposes, and are distinct from discussions about co-op ethics, politics, systems, etc which can, if necessary, be scheduled separately.
  4. Once bulk orders have arrived, they must be picked up promptly within the time periods stipulated by the relevant coordinators.
    • Note: If stock is picked up late, or there is no space within the store, stock may be placed outside. TF takes no responsibility for loss or damage of such stock.
  5. Once TF has placed the order requested, it is not possible to cancel or change the order and the ordered goods must be paid for.
  6. Payment is required within 7 days by cash or electronic transfer (preferred). TF has the discretion of offering or not offering a direct transfer option. A deposit may also be required in some cases. Payment outside these terms may result in late payment fees.

Orders 10. Stock can only be bulk ordered in sizes that are available to TF. a. For smaller (non-bulk) quantities, an accurate list of what is needed is necessary so TF can ensure there is enough stock available for purchase. 11. It is not always possible to make bulk orders for some items: a. TF puts in orders for different items at different times. Depending on the timing of the order, we may not be able to acquire certain items. b. Some items may not be available from suppliers. c. In such cases, TF stock will not be available for the purpose of the group’s order if it would deplete the co-op’s stock too much. Relevant coordinators have the discretion to refuse TF’s stock being used for this purpose based on existing stock levels.

Relationship with suppliers TF works to build and maintain good relationships with its suppliers. In order to maintain this, it is important that groups: 12. Do not order stock directly from suppliers using TF's name. 13. Do not ask for free items from suppliers using TF's name. 14. Do not tell suppliers to deliver other stock or free stuff for the group to TF. (Note: Only orders made by TF for the group will be delivered to TF in the normal delivery cycle.)

What happens if this procedure is not followed? If the procedures outlined in this document are not followed the relevant stock coordinator may: 15. refuse to fill the order; 16. refuse to accommodate late requests and changes, if these cannot be accommodated within TF’s limited space and resources; 17. increase the mark-up on ordered items to cover additional coordinator hours.


Notes about piggyback orders

A ‘piggyback’ order occurs where TF’s orders stock through or from another co-op, usually Alfalfa House. This occurs to fill orders that TF’s cannot otherwise fulfil because of scheduling, order size, or capacity to order from certain suppliers.

  1. Alfalfa House (or another co-op) reserves the right to refuse or impose conditions on the operation of ‘piggyback’ orders. TF reserves the right to determine its ability and willingness to fulfil order requests based on the Alfalfa’s response. This includes imposing additional conditions, or declining to fulfil any group’s order.
  2. Usual mark-up for bulk orders will be applied to the price at which Alfalfa House has sold the stock to TF (i.e. no additional discount). If Alfalfa House increases the mark up on piggyback orders based on its policies and procedures, that amount will be included in the cost passed on to the group.
  3. TF ‘piggybacked’ group bulk orders must also comply with Alfalfa House’s ‘group bulk order’, ‘other co-ops bulk order’ and ‘bulk order’ policies and procedures. A copy of these policies and procedures can be provided in detail, but include conditions that the group provide volunteers required by Alfalfa House to process the group bulk order and that pick up must be at an agreed time within the relevant stock coordinators’ working hours and Alfalfa House’s opening hours.

NOTES FOR US – ie goes in the ‘How to do stuff’ book but not on the group bulk orders sheet we hand out to groups.

  1. Pricing on group bulk orders
  2. Standard mark up rate is cost plus 25%.usually mark up with a 20% discount applied.
  3. Extra special discount mark up rate of cost plus 15-25% - this is to be used only where the group fits with TF’s aims and objectives extremely well and the group does things that directly benefit TF, the order is easy to process, there is a history of previously bulk orders going smoothly and without hassle etc. This discount typically only gets used for groups with whom TF has an ongoing reciprocal relationship, e.g. Enviro Collective - free photocopying/access to other resources.
  4. A cost plus 20% mark up rate may be used in situations where the cost plus 15% mark up would normally apply but there has been a lack of notice or things have gone wrong and/or there are other complicating factors.
  5. In all instances, TF must at the very least break even on all bulk orders once TF coordinator and volunteer time required to make them happen has been factored in.
  6. TF will pay Alfalfa House for the stock at the time of collection. TF is then responsible for organising invoices and payment by the group.

Cottage industry

Bringing goods to sell as cottage industry

Members can bring in cakes, crafts, whatever they would like to sell, provided in does not conflict with the philosophy of the coop. Members need to contact the Groceries Coordinator to check its ok and to make sure they understand the system. All food must be kept in containers with a lid.

Pricing

The member decides what price they would like to sell their goods for.

They are entitled to their normal discount and bulk order rates when buying ingredients at the co-op.

The markup from the price we pay them, to the price it's sold for, is 40%. Multiply the wholesale price by 1.4 to find the retail price.

Paperwork

There is a book called the “Cottage Industry Book” in the pidgeonholes. Follow the instructions on the book, and fill out all the fields, in order to make everyone happy.

Recycling Used Containers

Metal drums can be taken to metal recyclers Plastic drums (once washed out) can be taken to Reverse Garbage (these are the containers for e.g. tahini, honey, etc, and those for the liquid cleaning products).


Suppliers of Thoughtful Foods

Most suppliers have spreadsheets, which we use for ordering. They are stored on the coordinator dropbox, folder Groceries. You would have seen these if you have received any grocery items. Groceries are everything in the shop that you can receive a discount for, ie not bread or fresh produce. The spreadsheets for previous orders are stored on the coordinator dropbox, folder Groceries, by supplier name and date in a folder labelled “Orders Archive” (in “Stock” folder). However, some of our suppliers do not have spreadsheets. These include:

  1. Alfalfa house (we order honey and cleaning products through them)
  2. Back to Eden (tinned products - ordered with veggies)
  3. Free Range Project (eggs)
  4. Pope packaging (calico bags – very rarely ordering, less than once a year)
  5. Probiotic solutions (probiotic cleaner, very rarely ordering, less than once a year)
  6. The Nut Stand/Natural Grocer (non-organic peanuts, prepaid and price worked out before delivery)

Our other suppliers are:

  1. Addiction Food (snacks)
  2. Aracaria (soap bars)
  3. Austral Herbs (teas, herbs and spices)
  4. DeliVer (Cocofrio ice cream)
  5. Disaster Bay Chilis (Jarred chili products)
  6. Eaternal
  7. Funky Pies
  8. Green Clover (chocolate and pasta)
  9. Hand n Hoe Macadamias
  10. Honest To Goodness
  11. Hunter Valley Organics (olives and oil)
  12. Kevin and Cindy’s organic fruit (pears and apricots)
  13. Kurrajong/Wild Hibiscus/Bushtuckershop (native spices and jams)
  14. Loving Earth
  15. Murray View Organics (sultanas)
  16. Pacific Organics
  17. Pana Chocolate
  18. Soy Surpreme/Nutrisoy
  19. Spiral Foods
  20. The Chocolate Yogi
  21. Trade Winds (black tea and coffee)
  22. Uncle Harry (veggie patties)