NATURAL GROCERS BY VITAMIN COTTAGE TO GO COMPLETELY BAG FREE

May be First Retail Chain in the Nation; Has Customers' Support

Lakewood, CO, April, 22, 2009-- On Earth Day 2009, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stores will be among the first in the nation to go completely "bag free," offering no paper or plastic shopping bags at any of its 31 stores. After testing the concept for a year – on Earth Day 2008, they discontinued the use of plastic shopping bags, and announced that all new stores would be bag-free – the Colorado-based natural and organic products retailer received such overwhelming support from its community that it has discontinued bags altogether.

"From our six bag-free stores in 2008 we saved at least 534,909 bags," said co-president Kemper Isely. "By going bag-free at all of our stores we will save an additional 16,000 bags per day—this adds up to almost six million (6,000,000) bags over the next 12 months that our customers won’t be contributing to the environment."

Natural Grocers made the move away from plastic shopping bags as a result of mounting concerns about the ubiquitous bags' reputation as an immense environmental threat, but continued to offer customers paper shopping bags. Paper bags may be more eco-friendly, but they are still harsh on the environment: while they do bio-degrade in landfills, it is a lengthy process: bags need air, moisture and sunlight to rapidly degrade, elements that are scarce in landfills.

On Earth Day, Natural Grocers will give each customer a free reusable bag with their purchase; moving forward, each store will continue to provide customers with free recycled cardboard boxes to pack their groceries, in addition to a variety of reusable bag options, ranging from .99 cents to $5.99.

Natural Grocers, long a pioneer in its own industry, hopes to inspire other retailers across all industries to follow suit, proving that going bag free—with the support of its customers—is a reality.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
Since 1955, Colorado based, family owned, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has grown from the ‘Mom & Pop” grass-roots business, started by Margaret & Phillip Isely to a growing national chain with locations in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and soon Utah, employing over 1000 employees to date and still run by their children and grandchildren. The original family goal to offer Every Day Affordable Prices is a cornerstone of their business, enabling everyone to afford the products necessary to maintain their own healthcare. Education and Customer Service are a cornerstone of Natural Grocers, as evidenced by their in-store nutritional support programs, free nutritional coaches and free public health & wellness seminars.