As you browse the aisles of Shopper’s Corner, appreciating the iconic hardwood floors and shelves of organic, local, and staple products you’re sure to run into a friendly staff member or two (or ten).
Shopper’s staffers are known for being extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and genuinely happy to be there. Their upbeat attitude then reflects onto the shopping experience making shopping a breeze for generations of Shopper’s customers. So it comes at no surprise that when we sat down to interview a few of Shopper’s team members, all of them said their favorite part of working at the family-owned grocery store are their coworkers and the family they’ve created there.
From organic produce to the full-service meat counter, these knowledgeable employees have a combined 75 years of Shopper’s Corner staff experience. Get to know these grocery store veterans as they give you a peek behind the curtain of life at Shopper’s Corner – Santa Cruz’s oldest family owned grocery store.
Let’s get to know the crew:
Vicki Chaney, Office Manager
How long have you worked at Shopper’s? 33 years
What is your favorite thing about working at Shopper’s? The people. After 33 years, you pretty much become family. There are some amazing people that come through our doors – both coworkers and customers. It’s a privilege to get to build some a community here and is something we’re intentional about as a family-owned business.
What is your must-have item from Shopper’s? The teriyaki skirt steak and chicken fajitas make for perfect weeknight meals. The fajitas come with chopped up veggies which makes it even easier too.
What item do you wish more people knew about? We just started carrying al pastor and it’s delicious. I sauté it up with some veggies for such an easy and delicious meal. Everyone who has tried it has come back raving about it.
Richard Gutierrez, Stocker and Buyer
How long have you worked at Shopper’s? Coming up on two years in June.
What is your favorite thing about working at Shopper’s? The family-oriented environment. It is a family business and the staff is like that too. You feel good coming to work here. You don’t dread coming in every day. Even if there are things going on in your life, you know that when you come into work, they’re going to take care of you and be there for you. It’s a family.
What is your must-have item from Shopper’s? The Louisiana hot links. They have a perfect spice level for me.
What item do you wish more people knew about? All the Santa Cruz Organic Lemonades. The strawberry-flavored is my favorite. I know they have so many flavors and are pretty popular but they really are so good, they deserve any hype they have.
Claire McKinney, Frozen Department Manager
How long have you worked at Shopper’s? Twelve years.
What is your favorite thing about working at Shopper’s? It’s the family atmosphere. We’ve developed strong bonds and a real sense of trust amongst our team. We also hang out outside of work which goes to show we actually really like one another because that isn’t as common as you may think.
What is your must-have item from Shopper’s? Ginger Limeade from Califia Farms, it’s in the dairy department so it can be easy to miss but it’s delicious. It’s so refreshing.
What item do you wish more people knew about? Our fun pickled stuff, we have so many types of pickled veggies.
Aleka Hadzis, Deli Buyer/Clerk
How long have you worked at Shopper’s? 12.5 years!
What is your favorite thing about working at Shopper’s? Employees and the people I work with. It’s such a close-knit group; I’ve met some of my best friends working here. We’re like a family.
What is your must-have item from Shopper’s? The Marinated Sheep & Goat Cheese from Meredith Dairy. It’s marinated in Australian Extra Virgin Olive oil, garlic and herbs and it’s great for salads or with crackers for a quick, delicious snack. It’s insanely good. A little pricey, but delicious.
What item do you wish more people knew about? Our hand packaged peanut butter cups! We package them in house and they’re better than Reese’s. We have to stop the staff from eating them by the pound! We heard they have a little vanilla added to them which is why they are extra good.
Carlos Ruvelcava, Butcher
How long have you worked at Shopper’s? 16 years
What is your favorite thing about working at Shopper’s? The customers and my coworkers are wonderful, but mostly, I enjoy what I do. Cutting meat for our customers makes me very happy.
What is your must-have item from Shopper’s? The porterhouse and all the steaks, especially our teriyaki skirt steak. We always run out of the skirt steak. Everyone should try that, we make the marinade here.
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The staff at Shopper’s Corner take pride in making each customer feel special and appreciated. They understand that shopping can sometimes be a stressful or mundane experience, but they work hard to bring joy and positivity to every interaction.
From greeting customers with a smile to offering personalized recommendations and going the extra mile to make your meal memorable, the staff at Shopper’s Corner truly care about their customers’ satisfaction.
It’s no wonder that customers keep coming back generation after generation. Be sure to save this article for your next grocery run and stock up on staffer’s favorites!
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🛒 YOUR GROCERY LIST 🛒
Butchers Shop
- Teriyaki Skirt Steak
- Chicken Fajitas
- Al Pastor
- Louisiana Hot Link
- Porterhouse Steak
Grocery:
- Santa Cruz Organic Lemonades
- Califia Farms Ginger Limeade
- Meredith Dairy Marinated Sheep & Goat Cheese
- Peanut Butter Cups
Eating with the seasons: Organic produce thrives at Shopper’s Corner
Eating with the seasons: Organic produce thrives at Shopper’s Corner