Online Shopping FAQs

Is curbside pickup open to all shoppers?  
Yes! We welcome anyone to place an order online through our website or the PFC app. Setting up your user account is very easy (link) and you do not need to be an owner to set up an online account. 

Owners get extra deals! You can become an owner here and save on your next  order!!  

What is the fee for curbside pickup? 
No fee! This service from People’s Food Co-op is free to you. 

What hours can I use curbside pickup? 
You can place an order 24 hours a day and up to 7 days in advance. Available pickup times are listed on the website or app – you can choose what is convenient for you. There may be changes to pickup hours during holidays. 

What products do you have available? 
We currently have approximately 1,000 items available and will continue to add more over time. There is some variation in the products offered at each store. Some products may be out of stock. If you have chosen the “contact me” option in your order, staff will contact you about substitutions.  

Will I be able to use my owner discounts? 
Yes! Please include your owner number and discount (5%, Monthly Wellness) in the “Notes” section. 

SHOPPING 

Shop by Search 

If you have a shopping list, use the Search Bar in the header to search for each item. For example, you can type in “apple” and view all items that are apples or apple products. Or you can type “gala apple” and get a more specific list of available items. 

You can also search by brand. If you want a specific brand of milk, you can type in something like “Organic Valley Milk” or “Organic Valley Whole Milk” for a more focused search. 

If you search for a specific item and no items are available, try simplifying your search term to see if it populates. 

Once you find an item, you would like to buy, click the “Add to List” button or click on the product image for more information. 

Saving an Item for Later 

If you find an item you like, but don’t want to buy at this time, you can click on the heart in the upper right corner of a product listing to add it to your favorites. 

Shop by Sale Items 

You can view these items by simply selecting the “On Sale” square on the left-hand side bar just above “All Categories.” Sale items may vary by store. 

Shop by Favorites 

Do you want to save time shopping for the items you frequently buy or consider? Customize your shopping experience by selecting the “favorites” heart in the upper right-hand corner of the products you like. You can then view these items at any time by clicking the “My Favorites” link in the top right corner of the header or on the left-hand side bar just above “All Categories.”

Shop by Category 

If you’d simply like to browse the virtual shelves, you can view items by category. These categories are defaulted to the most popular items, so you can get an idea by browsing, what people like best from us (or at least buy the most frequently).  

HOW DO I CUSTOMIZE MY ACCOUNT? 

My Favorites 

Customize your shopping experience by selecting the “favorites” heart in the upper right-hand corner of the products you like. You can then view these at any time by clicking the My Favorites link in the top right corner of the header or on the left-hand side bar just above “All Categories”. 

Create Shopping Lists 

You can create a variety of shopping lists under your account. Just click on “My Account” in the top right-hand corner of the site. Under “My Account,” navigate to “My Shopping Lists” in the left sidebar and click on the dark green “New List” button. 

You can create any list you like! Two types of lists we recommend are a “Weekly Staples List” and a “Monthly Staples List”. You can add any items (quantities and substitutions) that you buy on a regular basis so you can just click “reorder” instead of reselecting these items every time. 

You can make adjustments to your list once you click reorder, but this adds all of your items from a selected shopping list into your checkout. 

Adding Items to a List 

In “My Account,” under “My Shopping Lists” create a “New List” or select the dropdown arrow next to Modified Date and choose “Make Active” for the list you’d like to update. A green heart will appear next to the active list. Next, go to “shop” in the green navigation bar and start adding your items. 

You can view your list of items any time by clicking the dark green cart button in the green navigation bar. 

To switch lists, go back to My Account > My Shopping Lists and choose “Activate List” from the dropdown arrow next to the list you’d like to switch to. 

What if I want to preorder items by the case? 

Case orders must be placed through the department. 

What if my item is out of stock in the store? 
We substitute with the closest available alternative of equal or lesser value. We do not substitute conventional items for organic items unless you note this in the ‘Order Instructions’ or ‘Add Item Instructions’ fields in your Cart. If you have provided us with a current phone number, we may try to reach you by phone to discuss.  

Will I receive sale prices on my curbside pickup order?  
The deals which are current when you Place or Pickup your order are the deals you will receive. Our Fresh Deals and Co-op Deals cycle starts on Wednesday and ends on Tuesday. You will receive an alert if a sales item in your cart expires before your pickup time. 

If you would like to use your owner discount or other current promotion, please include this in the notes section on the checkout page.

What if I don’t see the item I want on the website?
List the brand, size and product name in the special instructions section. If we have it, we’ll make sure you can get it! 

What if I need to modify or cancel my order after I have submitted? 
Call your selected store (Rochester or La Crosse) as soon as possible. Typically, we cannot accommodate requests for an earlier pickup date/time than originally requested. Please note that since we prepare orders in advance, we cannot add products at the time of pickup. However, you are welcome to come in the store to buy more items, when you come to your scheduled pickup time! 

Can I place my order over the phone? 
No, orders must be placed online.  

Is there a minimum order requirement?  
Orders must be at least $10.00 to qualify for a curbside pickup order. 

PICKING UP YOUR CURBSIDE ORDER 

Can I bring in my reusable bags? 
No. To keep product safe and use space effectively, we need to pre-pack in paper grocery bags or boxes before you arrive.  

When will my groceries be ready? 
Orders are usually prepared within 24-48 hours, but the pickup time and date is really up to you! You’ll select a pickup day and time when you complete your order from the remaining available slots. You will receive a notification when your order is ready. Please pick up your order during your selected time slot to best serve you, even if it is ready early. 

Where do I park to pick up my groceries? How does my personal shopper know that I’ve arrived?
Arrive at your selected store at your designated pickup time, and pull into the parking lot. Look for the designated curbside signs indicating where to park. 

PAYMENT 

Can I use my EBT/SNAP benefits or WIC benefits (Rochester only) on curbside pickup orders? 

Yes. When you place the order, choose “pay in store”. When you arrive to pick up the order you will come inside the store to pay at the register.  

Can I use paper coupons for my order? 
No, we cannot accept paper coupons for curbside pickup orders. 

Can I pay with contact-free payment options such as Apple Pay or Google Pay? 
Yes! 

What payment methods are available? 

Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Debit, Apple Pay and Google Pay 

We do not accept American Express, gift cards, EBT, or owner account funds via Pay Online. However, if you want to pay with a gift card, check, or owner account, you are welcome to come in to the store to pay when you pick up your order.  

Can I tip my shopper? 
We have a no-tipping policy. We appreciate your business, and the best way to tip is to continue to use our services and tell others.  

Can I round up my purchase for Give Where You Live? 
Yes! Just put in the Order Instructions box that you would like to round up. 

What if I am missing an item, get the wrong item, or need to return something? 
Customers can make returns from curbside orders in person at either location. Customers can get credit over the phone for any missing items from their curbside order by contacting curbside staff at the location where they picked up their order. We want you to be satisfied with your curbside experience, so please discuss any issues with our staff.  

CATERING

How many hour’s notice is needed for catering orders?

Because we make everything on-site and from scratch, please allow us 48 hours to prepare your order.

Where do I pick up my catering order?

Your catering order can be picked up at the deli counter.

What is the catering cancellation policy?

Orders cancelled within 24 hours of pickup time will be charged full price.

GENERAL 

Do you offer delivery? 
No, we’re offering curbside pickup only.  

Return Policy
To communicate about a refund or exchange on your Curbside at the Co-op order, call La Crosse: 608-784-5798 dial 3 and Rochester: 507-289-9061 dial 3. 

or email curbside.lacrosse@pfc.coop or curbside.rochester@pfc.coop. Have your order # handy so we can access the information in our system. 

PFC will allow the refund of most items within the following parameters 

  • No refunds on alcohol, clearance or special-order items unless the item was not known to be damaged, defective, or expired at time of order placement.  
  • Items purchased with an EBT card must be refunded back to the same EBT card from which the purchase was made.  
  • PFC reserves the right to refuse the return/exchange of merchandise without proof of purchase. 
  • Perishable items: 3 days from purchase, or as approved by management 
  • Non-Perishable items: 14 days from purchase, or as approved by management 
  • With A Receipt: Items returned with a receipt will be refunded back to the tender in which it was paid or store credit. Items paid for by personal check may only receive store credit if less than 48 hours from original purchase, or cash thereafter.  
  • Without A Receipt: Items returned without a receipt may be refunded as a store credit  

Sale of Alcohol: State law requires: 

MN: Customer will need to provide valid ID matching the name of the person who placed the order.  

WI: Customer will need to provide a valid ID of the person. Curbside Alcohol Sales cannot be picked up the same day that the order is placed and only between the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. No exceptions.