Nature’s Fare: offering a compelling in-store experience
By Bruce W. Cole
One of the two big news items to come from Nature’s Fare Markets in BC recently is the announcement of a new store, set to open in 2026. This new location will be in Chilliwack, about two hours east of downtown Vancouver, in the Fraser Valley. It will measure a robust 24,000 sq. ft., making it the largest of the group’s eight stores. It edges out the 21,000 sq. ft. Kamloops location, which opened in 2023.
Why Chilliwack?
Stephanie Thatcher, director of marketing for Nature’s Fare, says, “We feel we can enhance the lifestyle and health and wellness of the residents of Chilliwack and surrounding Fraser Valley with a retail location that specializes in natural, organic health, and wellness products.”
Company CEO Michael Sherwood says Nature’s Fare had been looking at Chilliwack for quite a while. “This presents a great opportunity for us to serve a growing community. Chilliwack is a blossoming and diverse community: there’s lots of growth happening there. This location will complement our White Rock and Langley stores, expanding our presence in the Lower Mainland.”
The new store is part of a large development, adds Stephanie. “It’s a very walkable community, with restaurants, shops, and schools. A lot of the shops will have residential above. We are very happy to be part of this vibrant, growing community.”
Kamloops lessons
When asked what his team learned during the building of the Kamloops store that will be applied to Chilliwack, Michael mentioned a couple of things. “We found the community resonated with a larger one-stop health and wellness shop in Kamloops, as we enhanced our fresh food offering, as well as expanded the overall product availability.”
Chilliwack will have similar product offerings as Kamloops, says Stephanie. “Kamloops has an abundant fresh food offering that has resonated with customers. We also learned that we can offer a larger format shopping experience to better service our customers.”
Fitting the community
Michael points out that these new stores measuring in the 20,000 sq. ft. range doesn’t mean all future Nature’s Fare locations will be the same size. “The size of the community matters and it will determine the store size. Chilliwack is a robust and growing community, and we will adjust our footprint to meet their needs.”
He says any stores going into smaller communities will be in the 10,000–15,000 sq. ft. range.
One current store that is going to see a 6,000-sq. ft. expansion is the Langley location, bringing it up to 17,000 sq. ft. It opened in 2010 and was the first Nature’s Fare store in BC’s Lower Mainland. “The renovation will start in mid-2025, with plans of completion by the end of 2025, just prior to our Chilliwack opening in early 2026,” says Stephanie.
When asked about future Nature’s Fare locations, Michael responded with, “There are no solid plans to talk about yet, but we do want to grow the brand in BC, and maybe beyond into Western Canada.”
In-store pharmacy
Perhaps the most exciting and interesting aspect of the new Chilliwack location is the other big news item: the addition of an in-store Pure Integrative Pharmacy. Established in 1999, Pure Integrative Pharmacy has a strong presence in BC with 23 locations—the Chilliwack one being its 24th—and it’s known for being an all-in-one healthcare hub.
With professional clinical and compounding services, Pure focuses on preventative medicine and promoting vitality, combining the conventional pharmacy model with evidence-based complementary medicines and cutting-edge products and services for an integrative, holistic, and client-centered experience.
This innovative approach for bridging the gap between conventional and complementary medicine is made possible by team members who are compassionate, professional, and engaged.
“For customers needing conventional medicine, we will be able to provide products, knowledge, and a more well-rounded holistic approach to health and wellness,” notes Stephanie. “There will be a full-time pharmacist in store to serve all our customers’ health needs. Pure also offers a compounding lab on site, which will help with customized medicine tailored to the individual. We will also look to expand some of the professional lines of supplements we carry.”
“There is a lot of synergy between the two companies,” adds Michael. “They carry a lot of product lines that are complementary to ours.” In addition, customers will see a few more professional lines of supplements.
Culture is key
A major key to Nature’s Fare’s longevity and success over the past 30+ years can be attributed to the company’s culture. Michael smiles when asked to describe it. “Culture is an evolving topic. For us, the foundation of our culture is based on being customer- and employee-centric. All decisions we make are based on improving the customer and employee experience.”
With seven current stores, Michael admits establishing a store culture and replicating it in each location does present its challenges. “It’s something that isn’t easily done and it is always one of our major concerns. So, we are focused on developing our culture in our existing people and leaders. By doing this, our leaders can move to other locations and foster our culture.”
“Our organization is built upon a strong belief in our brand values and our culture,” Stephanie elaborates. “We have four pillars that define the essence of what we do, and they guide our decision making.”
Wellness: “We strive for true balance of mind, body, spirit, and our planet.”
Integrity: “We do the right thing and we are empowered to speak up and identify concerns.”
Service: “We exist because of our customers. We believe in having happy, healthy team members because they will provide superior services.”
Passion: “We’re passionate about our mission. For us, a commitment to organics and overall health and wellness is not just for profit, but for making a positive impact on the people and planet.”
“Our culture is wellness-driven and people-first,” Stephanie adds, listing three priorities Nature’s Fare brings to every location:
People centered: “We prioritize people in every decision, asking ourselves: ‘how will this impact them? Is it fair and equitable across the organization? Are we doing the right thing?’”
Fun: “We prioritize connecting and enjoying each other’s company. Team events are held monthly where we can relax and be ourselves. And we embrace individuality and celebrate an inclusive workplace.”
Community: “We know we’re part of something bigger. We value our customers and community, and work to support them wherever we can.”
Building the team
Stephanie details Nature’s Fare’s approach for recruiting team members. “We look for folks who share our values—we have a three-tiered, personal recruitment approach—each step [involves] learning different things about candidates who would like to join us.
“A great indicator of success in our stores is already being a customer! People who like to shop at Nature’s Fare are already halfway to being a great team member because they like our style and believe in what we do.”
“It’s not so much [about] us looking for the right people,” Michael adds, “I think they find us. They are aware of our store, they’ve shopped our store, and noticed the environment is different and they want to join our team. It is very reaffirming and heartfelt. We do hire customers who are looking for change, for a new opportunity. They love the experience of shopping at the store, and they want to be part of it. And these are the kind of people we search for. We make sure our values are aligned.”
Combating online competition
Over the years, retailers have faced the quandary of battling online channels in winning customer allegiance. The challenge for Nature’s Fare is further magnified by the fact it does not have an online store. “We are 100 percent brick and mortar,” says Stephanie. “It is hard to compete with online pricing. It’s a challenge all retailers face.”
“We are leaning into the customer experience, believing that our people and our stores set us apart; that comes down to knowledge, and the ability for our team members to take the time to talk to customers, listen to their needs and then recommend potential solutions for them.”
Customer experience
“Our focus is to serve our customers to the best of our ability and our goal is to ensure they see that there is value in shopping with us. They can get education and advice from our team of professionals. We have a wide product assortment. Our larger stores have enhanced variety and product selection, and a customer can do a complete shop in any one of our locations.”
Stephanie says since Nature’s Fare tends to have smaller footprint stores, its assortment really is a curated offering. “We have a first-to-market mentality, and we carry local products whenever we can. We have had the opportunity to see many small brands start in our stores, build a following and then expand across BC, and even the rest of the country.
“We also carefully evaluate the products we carry in our stores to ensure they meet our standards. You won’t find anything with artificial colours or flavours—not to mention countless other ingredients that we think are harmful—in the products on our shelves. We believe that this commitment to product integrity is another reason for customers to shop with us. They can trust what is in our stores.”
Local is also a huge attraction for shoppers to the stores. With five locations in BC’s Okanagan Valley, Nature’s Fare has strong ties to more than 80 produce growers, along with similar relationships with many growers in the equally fertile Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver. “Every store carries products specific to its local suppliers,” says Stephanie, “and our stores know the growers well.”
In the absence of an online presence, it’s all-out effort and focus on combining a relatable culture, a professional and committed staff, and a second-to-none product offering that the Nature’s Fare team hopes will bring customers through the door and keep them coming for life.
“For us to be competitive,” states Michael, “we have to have a compelling in-store experience.”