I like the concept of Natural Grocers. The product selection is good. I go here for things I can't get at other stores. If you're looking for natural and organic options this is your place. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Clean. read more

I like Natural Grocers in Lawrence. It's my new GoTo store for health food items. The store is clean and easy to find things. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They have an AMAZING vitamin and supplement section. The downside is it is small store and selection is limited. I do think they make the best use of their space. I am sure they can special order. The prices are not too high and it just has a nice vibe. There is no way you could really grocery shop here, though. This store is good for picking up a few items. For their small size, they have a nice bulk department, too. I will say that I may be biased because there is a local natural store here in town that I dislike immensely. When NG came to town, they were a breath of fresh air. We had another choice for naturals finally. I was freed from COOPerating with the other store. One suggestion for the store is to train their staff better. They are helpful and friendly but, a few newbies are not as educated about some products. One staffer had no clue what supplement I was needing but I went right to the product. I showed it to the staffer. I explained to her the supplement was and how it worked. She appreciated the education. Haven't run into that too much at this store, though. Today I was there and the staffer helping me knew a great deal about the products. She even showed me a less expensive product that would work better than the more expensive one I was considering. Bottom line- great store, competitive prices, small and friendly. I do find great irony, though, that's Burger King was leveled to build this store. LOL. read more

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First of all, I really appreciate that they had a mural painted on the front of the store (by VanGo, I believe). It is really well done and a nice reflection of the city. But, the staff is SUPER friendly and helpful. They carry local products and they are really knowledgeable. read more

Natural Grocers is great- I spent less money on the same items that I would've paid more for at the Merc. They had a lot of variety, and an awesome vitamin section. I adore the Community Merc, and Natural Grocers won't replace it because they're very different; I go to the merc when I want a fresh, healthy lunch on the go. I'll go to Natural Grocers when it's time to stock the food pantry. read more

Natural Grocers - Natural Grocers in Lawrence - Grocery Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

Good prices on produce. Especially on sale or promo. They also have a great variety of vegan foods. Yogurt, ice cream, frozen meals. All sorts of vegan food. I love it. Great place to go when I'm looking for that new vegan thing I read about online.m or when I'm looking for a treat. read more

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage is the latest "natural" grocery store here in Lawrence. It's not a corner of a supermarket, but an entire store devoted primarily to organic foods and supplements. Wait, don't we have that already with the Community Merc and doesn't JoCo already have TWO Whole Foods? What's the deal? Didn't Wild Oats fold in Lawrence a few years ago? Located on the land once housed by a Burger King (yes, the irony is delicious), this store has a much smaller footprint that any of those stores. The size is more like a Trader Joe's or Aldis. Likewise, Natural Grocers does not have a deli, bakery or any type of food prepared on site (though they sell these items prepackaged). Since this store is "by Vitamin Cottage," approximately 30-40% of the store is devoted to natural supplements & beauty accessories. If someone thinks it can improve your health and it comes in a bottle of some form, they are likely to carry it. Example: comparing organic and vegan protein supplements I found a much greater variety here than at Whole Foods and The Merc combined. They have house brands of many items and carry entire product lines of such suppliers as NOW and Source of Life. Pricing was right in line with other stores where I've seen these products. The produce section is all organic. No conventionals. They claim this prevents cross contamination and I agree. I've witnessed people accidentally mix and match conventional and organic produce items in stores all the time. It's hard not to. You ask your spouse to put something back on the shelf and they aren't paying attention and then five minutes later someone else picks it up. Pricing and variety is competitive. Obviously during a grand opening, everything was well stocked. I hope that trend continues as I've found most stores tend to run out of the organic items. With this being the sole focus, I'm hoping that I'll always be able to find what I need there for a recipe. General grocery items were on average 10% less than the Merc, though some items were about 10% higher which is consistent with Whole Foods. I did direct price checking on items I buy and only one item was more. Selection is more limited at Natural Grocers. They only carry a few product lines but carry deep variety within the lines. Take for example Imagine Soups. They had every soup I've ever seen there and more varieties than any Lawrence store. Sale prices were fabulous!. Combine that with some coupons and you'll be styling. Lots of national brands means easy to access coupons. What's missing here is many local affinity brands, though they did a great job of representing there. One day I went they were doing samples of Beeler's regional meats and another day it was Soy-Zen-Zay from Shawnee Kansas. Not nearly as much local variety as the Merc or Whole Foods, but that's fine--that's what they are there for. No Localbucha here (wah!) but about 10 other national varieties of Kombachu--in fact an entire shelf of it! And lots of hummus choices. Everyone working was extremely nice and went out of their way to assist. No smugness or attitude, these people were generally helpful. Again, this is opening week, I'd expect nothing less. However national chains have standards of service and have to work to earn business rather than expect it from "locals." Local is sometimes used as an excuse for lower quality or higher price. Here they have to earn business in Lawrence. They have a community room in the back that groups can reserve for free and they have a "SCRIPS" fundraising program that allows non-profits to resell gift cards. A few negatives. First parking is kind of a pain and both the entrance and exit onto 23rd Street is rough. Better to take Oushdahl and use the entrance behind the store. There is no question of paper or plastic here, they'll provide you a box if you need otherwise you need to bring your own bag. I like that, but it can be a drag if you have a big shopping trip. Overall this national brand is a welcome addition to the Lawrence grocery scene. This isn't a decade ago when Wild Oats came in to compete with the only other source of natural groceries. In 2011, natural foods is no longer a niche but an expected choice and simply offering it isn't enough. Stores need to compete on quality, price, selection and customer service. Natural Grocer's 's focus on organic produce and deep selection of natural brands at excellent pricing will help bring more people into healthy and mindful eating and might give the local and national supermarkets in town a bit more healthy competition that will improve the quality of service for all of us. A bonus: being right next to Dillons allows for easier one stop shopping when I need conventional products. Rest of the stores in town--up your game if you want to keep my grocery shopping $$ because you've really got some quality competition here. read more

I don't get this store. Didn't get it the first time I walked in and haven't the few times since. Grocery = fresh food products you can eat. Or maybe my definition is off. Seems this store is mostly boxed and packaged vitamins. The produce section is definitely on the miniature side of things and for fresh food that's pretty much all there is. Since I tend to *try* to eat healthy (unless I dine out at which point you'll be laughing at that last statement) that means purchasing food products that have not been 1) canned, 2) boxed, or 3) frozen, or 4) packaged in some fashion -- the four sins that mean they've been significantly altered with chemicals, preservatives, food dies, tons of sugar and sodium and much more. And the parking situation entering and exiting,,, unfortunate. I just don't see a reason to shop here. I suppose if you're looking for vitamins it's right up your alley. I'm not. Seems to be a business model based on products minus any kind of short-term expiration date, ie., frozen, packaged, etc. with a small produce section that exists for the opportunity to utilize the title of "Grocer." Maybe this is just what some people are looking for but between the other stores in town I don't see that it's filling any kind of niche. read more

Store is very clean, looks great, nice presentation, and the employees are very friendly. Prices are very competitive - but I was extremely disappointed to go through the entire store and find NO local products. I admit I am biased because I am extremely partial to The Merc, but with a corporate chain opening I was hoping I would be able to stock up on some staple items that are very expensive at The Merc and I drive out to Whole Foods to get - frozen veggies, aseptic boxes of nondairy milk, juice, other randoms. I did find some good deals and will probably shop here at times, but I cannot hide my disappointment that they don't even carry Shatto butter and Central Soyfoods tofu. Even conventional supermarkets have local products. Redeeming quality, they had a booth with petitions set up to sign to oppose some harmful vitamin-related legislation making the rounds right now. I'll bump them up a star for that. I placed my concerns about the local products into their suggestion box. I'll return in a little while to see if they've started carrying some. And in my opinion, you can never have too many organic grocery stores. To take that further, EVERY grocery store should be organic.... read more

I'm a bit torn about this particular Natty Gros store. The store is always extra clean and the staff are incredibly nice and helpful; even more so than the store near my house in Overland Park, but the produce section is simply too tiny. I like that Natural Grocers only stocks organic produce, but there should be enough variety at the store to find most produce staples. The odd thing is, that even though this is a much smaller store than the one near my house, there are a lot of items that I've never seen before at my neighborhood store. It's fun to explore the different variety, but I tend to leave this store wanting for more. read more

Great alternative for the health-conscious who'd rather have personal attention in a clean and well-organized store. On my first visit, which just happened to be during a special event, I was greeted by a genuinely friendly employee and was given free chocolate, ice cream and NG shopping bag. Lucky me! Nice way to win a new customer. Since then, it's been a consistently good experience when I want peaceful, relaxed and efficient retail. I always know I'll be treated right and that the store will be very clean. I'm good with the organic produce, love the vitamin and supplement department, and have discovered favorites in their bulk packaged items like nuts and dried fruits. It's apparent how the chain values health and safety during the pandemic...that's good. It's been fun to discover their occasional promo events and discounts. Their loyalty program provides nice discounts - helpful for starving musicians like me. Bonus: There's an in-store nutritionist who offers coaching and knowledgeable guidance with the extensive world of vitamins and supplements. I needed that, and was given very helpful, thorough assistance. read more

This store is clean, it's nice inside, and the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, the selection just isn't enough to make me happy. For example, I went in to get some green peppers and some kind of crusty Italian bread to use for sausage sandwiches. They barely have any bread whatsoever...and basically just sliced wheat and white bread. Well, that meant I had to take my business next door to Dillon's, because I really needed that darn bread! The vitamin selection is wicked...aisle after aisle of things you'd never expect to find. However, I think taking just one of those aisles and increasing the grocery selection a bit would make me come back more often. As it is, I just don't see the advantage versus an ever-expanding fruit, veggie and specialty food selections at your larger stores. I also don't see an advantage versus the Merc, which I feel has a larger and better selection. read more

Store has great, great prices, and stocks many hard-to-find items you can't get other places in town. Has a fantastic frozen section, plus great gluten-free baking items. You can't beat their price on xanthan gum--I got a bag for only a $1! Most of the time you can't find it for under $10. Everyone there is very nice and friendly--so super helpful. I like the Merc as much as everyone else, but give the new guys a try, too! They can save you some sweet cash! read more

I shop here at least twice a week. It has some of the best organic fresh fruits and vegetables in town. The prices are mostly equal to the normal chain grocers in town but much better quality. With the fruits and veg being organic they have more intense and fresh flavors. I highly recommend shopping here. Eating healthy and fresh does not have to be expensive and this place is a perfect example. They are also the only place in Lawrence who sells Oasis brand hummus. It is about half the price of the generic brand hummuses and only has about a 10th of the total fat per serving. read more

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I have never been to a more poorly put together store. Staff was more interested in putting stock away then helping me. It only seems that there are maybe 3 people working the whole store at any given time. This location used to have SO MANY great, educated people that worked there. There were the 2 hippy ladies (I think one was the manager and the other did the soaps and stuff), and there was that big guy that did the vitamins. Between those 3, you could get ANY question answered! Now, NO ONE knows anything about the vitamins, (but there is never anyone over there to help you anyway). I was so happy when they opened, since they are close to me, but I still opt to drive to the Merc or now, Sprouts. Don't waste your time trying to get into their messed up parking lot! read more

Natural Grocers, why has it taken me so long to discover you?? After returning from a recent trip to SF, I found myself hypervigilant to every orange peel I didn't compost, and woefully guilty at the numerous plastic bags I was given on every errand run. Call it fate, or maybe just some magical vibes that bring Green people in Lawrence together - but on a whim I found myself in Natural Grocers one day...and my life changed a little. The produce section here is small but fresh, and I love that they offer a substantial amount of weekly/monthly specials (unlike The Merc, which usually only offers monthly savings on primarily boxed/frozen foods). The bulk section is extensive; the main drawback is that items are pre-portioned. I'm not into herbal supplements but if you are I would imagine that Natural Grocers is more well-stocked than The Merc, judging by the fact that this section takes up almost half of the store. Also, the employees are super friendly. Do expect a friendly smile and conversation, but do not expect them to ask you "paper or plastic?" when you check out. Instead, you'll be offered a reused box to pack your items in. Upon hearing this I was exuberant! Unabashedly joyous! I don't think I've ever been so happy to be offered an old box before! Which, admittedly was an overreaction, but it's these little moments that will keep me coming back. I'm pretty sure the existence of Natural Grocers is going to significantly improve my remaining time in Lawrence. Me and my reusable canvas bag are stoked! read more

About half the store is vitamins, and the other half is drygoods or frozen/refrigerated foods, with a tiny produce section. I recognized most of the dry good brands from Dillons and HyVee, so those can be had for much less elsewhere (especially the shelf-stable organic juices). They keep really weird hours, I can never remember exactly what they are (it's like "6:53" or something) but they're always closed when I drive by in the evening in hopes of picking up my dog's favorite food, so it's early. Prices are a little better at the Merc, which also has a vastly better selection of pretty much everything except vitamins (and dog food, they don't have much of that at all). I guess you'd need to take a lot of vitamins if you tried to live on the limited selection of foods, especially fresh foods, at this store. read more

I am in Kansas trying to take care of my sick father. I needed to order something that I was told that all I had to do was call and they would order it. I called the store 6 times and no one ever picked up. No message machine, no person, nothing. It was 6:45 p.m. and they are open till 8. This is no way to run a business. read more

Best price on kombucha in town!! Also great prices on Zevia, other drinks like Virgil's rootbeer, and Amy's dinners/Annie's gluten free items. Competitive supplement and produce prices as well. read more

I am so glad to have this store in town! Their prices are cheaper than the Merc and other grocery stores' similar offerings (unless these stores are having a major sale). What I like most about the store is the manner in which they sell their bulk items. I enjoy the fact that these items are pre-packaged (for sanitary reasons); that their nuts, seeds, etc, are refrigerated for freshness; and that everything is of great quality. I have never gotten a rancid item. I have now become a fan of bulk items thanks to this store!! In short, quality pre-packaged refrigerated bulk items--yeah!! And, their prices of almost all items are cheaper (bulk or otherwise) than the competition. I drive across town to shop at this store and highly recommend it. The only negative that I have is that they are not always stocked. Sometimes this is frustrating, but they will do their best to help you. Thanks Natural Grocers for coming to Lawrence, Kansas. read more

Great grocery store for vegans or people on whole food diets. More Hemp products than the merc and cheaper overall.