Company will donate 5% of all sales on May 2, 2024, to support employee economic hardship fund

LAKEWOOD, Colo., April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its "Commitment to Crew", Natural Grocers® has pledged a portion of opening-day sales at its soon-to-be-relocated store in Warr Acres, Oklahoma to the Natural Grocers Heroes in Aprons Fund. The new location will open at 8:27 AM on Thursday, May 2 at 5903 Northwest Expressway, Warr Acres, OK 73132.

GRAND RELOCATION DONATION

Natural Grocers will donate 5% of its sales at the new Warr Acres store on May 2, to the Natural Grocers Heroes in Aprons Fund. Established in 2020, this nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization provides short-term financial assistance to Natural Grocers good4u® Crew members or their immediate family members who have encountered economic hardship due to unforeseen life impacting events like serious medical issues or natural disasters.

"There's an excited buzz among Oklahoma City residents regarding our upcoming Grand Relocation Event. In addition to a fresh new space, we're offering generous giveaways, sweepstakes and 25% off everything in the store.^[i] We anticipate that folks will be lining up far before we open our doors for business at 8:27 AM," said Raquel Isely, Vice President of Marketing at Natural Grocers. "The more customers who join us, the more we can give back to our Crew and grow our network of support - even when unforeseen circumstances arise."

COMMITMENT TO CREW 

Donating to the Heroes in Aprons Fund is one of the ways Natural Grocers keeps its "Commitment to Crew", one of the Company's founding principles. Since 1955, Natural Grocers has been passionate about ensuring that its employees can live a healthy, balanced life. The Company is committed to positively impacting Crew's physical, emotional and financial well-being with free nutrition education programs, excellent benefits and access to the highest quality, affordably priced products. The average rate for hourly store Crew was over $21 as of November 2023, including $1.00 per hour in store credit.  This unique store credit program is known as Vitamin Bucks and is often listed as a favorite perk of employees. As part of the Company's continuing commitment to Crew, in fiscal year 2023 the Company invested $15 million in incremental compensation and discretionary payments for Crew.

Jessica Cox, Nutritional Health Coach at the soon-to-be-relocated store stated, "Natural Grocers is a best-in-class company, and we are more than just a health food store - we're a nutrition education center as well. We offer FREE education and have the highest quality standards in the industry for the products that go on our shelves (all at an affordable price). We have great dedication to our local communities as well as our employees. The compensation, benefits, and extras we receive working here keep us around for the long haul, all on top of working for the most ethical company in the industry that always stands for what is right."

ADDITIONAL DONATION – REGIONAL FOOD BANK OF OKLAHOMA

Natural Grocers' good4u® Crew will kick off the Grand Relocation festivities at 8:15 AM with a $2,500 donation presentation to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma®—its local food bank partner, followed by an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Natural Grocers will partner with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma for its "Bring Your Own Bag Program" to serve people in Oklahoma facing hunger. Each time a customer brings their own shopping bag, Natural Grocers will donate five cents per shopping trip to this organization.

PARTNERSHIPS

In the decades since its inception, Natural Grocers has developed enduring partnerships with various charities that better the lives of the communities in the 21 states the company serves. Charitable partners include organizations that focus on fighting food insecurity, fostering sustainability and protecting the planet, providing relief to communities impacted by natural disasters, civil rights advocacy, and scholarship endowments for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Click here to learn more about Natural Grocers' community partnerships.

RELOCATION DETAILS
The current store, located at 7013 N May Ave., Oklahoma City, will close on April 29, at 5:00 PM to complete the relocation process. The new location, located at 5903 Northwest Expressway, Warr Acres, will open on May 2, at 8:27 AM.

• Learn more about Natural Grocers by visiting www.naturalgrocers.com.
• For media inquiries contact kmacarelli@naturalgrocers.com.

ABOUT NATURAL GROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE
Founded in 1955, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE: NGVC) is an expanding specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries, body care products, and dietary supplements. The products sold by Natural Grocers must meet strict quality guidelines and may not contain artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners, or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils. The Company sells only USDA-certified organic produce and exclusively pasture-raised, non-confinement dairy products, and free-range eggs. Natural Grocers' flexible smaller-store format allows it to offer affordable prices in a shopper-friendly, clean, and convenient retail environment. The Company also provides extensive free science-based Nutrition Education programs to help customers and Crew make informed health and nutrition choices. Natural Grocers is committed to its 5 Founding Principles—including its "Commitment to Community" and "Commitment to Crew". Headquartered in the Union Square neighborhood of Lakewood, CO, Natural Grocers has 168 stores in 21 states. Visit www.naturalgrocers.com for more information and store locations.

^[i] Offers valid only from 5/2/2024 to 5/4/2024, are redeemable only for in-store customer purchases at Natural Grocers' Warr Acres, OK location, and cannot be combined with other offers. Quantity limited to stock on hand; no rain checks. Pricing excludes taxes and is subject to change without notice. Natural Grocers reserves the right to correct errors. Void where prohibited by law.

SOURCE Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.