By Eric Stock
ST. LOUIS – The grocery that has branded itself as ‘The Friendlist Store in Town’ is banning charities from seeking donations outside its doors.
St. Louis-based Schnucks has announced a new policy at all 99 of its stores, including the two in Bloomington-Normal, which bans all solicitors including the Girl Scouts and Salvation Army bell ringers from its property.
“Our primary obligation is servicing our customers by providing the most pleasant and convenient shopping environment. Because of this, we have decided to end the solicitation of our customers or distribution of written or other materials at our stores,” Schnucks’ senior communications specialist Paul Simon said in an email to WJBC.
The Salvation Army of Bloomington has close to two dozen sites in the Twin Cities that collect donations each winter.
“Typically, on our kettle goal, we either just reach it or rarely reach it or just exceed it a little bit, so not having two stores could be the difference in making or not making that goal,” Development Director Angie Fulton said.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports union warehouse workers in Bridgeton, Missouri have been picketing outside Schnucks stores in the St. Louis area in recent months after the grocery store chain laid of about 200 union workers are replaced them with nonunion workers.
He added the company will continue to offer not-for-profit organizations an opportunity to raise money through its ‘My Schnucks Card’ program in which customers can designate a charity to receive a portion of their purchase. Simon said Schnucks gave more than $1.8 million to not-for-profit organizations through this program in 2015.
“We will also be exploring new and different ways to partner with community groups,” Simon said.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
