If you want a masterclass in how to run a business into the ground, Nature's Goods is the…read moreblueprint. After years of giving this store second chances because it was convenient, I'm officially done.
A persistent issue is the deli and prepared foods counter, where staff repeatedly push larger portions than you ask for. On multiple occasions, I've gotten to my car only to realize I had been given and charged for significantly more food than I wanted.
The next few times I went in, I vowed to stand firm and not accept any more food than I wanted to pay for. The employee still overfilled the portion. It actually became a battle to leave with only the amount I had ordered.
It became so predictable that I started going in and asking for a fraction of what I actually wanted, knowing they would likely go over anyway. However, that didn't work either!
Most recently, I stopped in while in a rush before an event, hadn't eaten all day, and just needed something quickly. I have been souring on the place due to all the reasons listed, but was desperate. I went in already bracing myself for the same routine and determined not to be pushed into buying more food than I wanted. The interaction at the deli was so aggressive and unpleasant that I walked out empty-handed. (In a nutshell: They said they had to sell me more food than I wanted because they wouldn't be able to sell it. I said I didn't want to buy the extra food. Their attitude was like "oh well, too bad for you." )
Then there's the bizarre pricing strategy. Numerous items have no prices displayed at all. When you ask what something costs, you can be met with annoyance, as though basic consumer transparency is somehow an unreasonable request.
If you don't put prices on things, what exactly do you expect customers to do? Guess?
And when prices are displayed, some are extraordinary. I once saw frozen raspberries priced at approximately $25. I'm accustomed to paying more for fresh, healthy, high-quality food, but I have shopped in The Hamptons and other very expensive places and had never seen anything quite like that.
The high prices would be easier to understand if the freshness were exceptional, but I have repeatedly seen products that appeared to be expired. A local friend told me she stopped shopping there for the same reason. She also said the employees/owners made disparaging remarks to her about customers after they walked away.
Between the missing prices, aggressive upselling at the deli, questionable freshness and the general attitude, the store seems almost determined to discourage repeat business.
At a minimum, customers should know what something costs before buying it and receive the amount of food they actually ordered.
Save yourself the headache and shop elsewhere. It is worth driving to Woodbury to New Morning, which is the Holy Grail in Connecticut. There is also a good health food store in Middletown. If anyone knows of another good option in the immediate area, please shout it out.
Or better yet, someone buy Nature's Goods. At this point, a change in ownership might be the most promising item on the menu. The owners there would probably love it if someone took the place off their hands, they seem quite miserable at what they do and they seem to really dislike their customers.
I could go on about the nasty and boorish attitudes I've encountered there over the years from the owners/workers, but these are the major highlights.
