What is Patronage Refund?

One of the incentives of becoming an Owner of the Co-op is the possibility of receiving a patronage refund. At the close of every fiscal year, our Board of Directors undergoes a process to examine our profits from the previous year as well as upcoming expenses. In years where there is a substantial enough profit remaining, the Board can then make the decision to disperse that money back to our Ownership in the form of a Patronage Refund. How much money each Owner receives back is entirely dependent on their level of shopping during the previous fiscal year, length of Ownership plays no part in the process. The more that an Owner spent at the Co-op during the previous year, the larger their Patronage Refund will be.

April 3, 2022

For the second year in a row, the Davis Food Co-op Board of Directors is happy to announce that Owners will be receiving Patronage Refunds once again. This would not be possible without the continued hard work of our staff and support from our community during uncertain times. In our Ends statement, we vow to provide a thriving cooperatively owned business, and we can think of no better way to prove that commitment than with our ability to issue Patronage Refunds after another profitable year. Read more below to learn how eligible Owners can redeem their Patronage Refund.

The Patronage Refund can be claimed as store credit, cash or eGift Card by the main account Owner with a valid ID on their next visit to the store. All Patronage Refunds must be redeemed by September 30, 2022.

For in-store shoppers looking to receive store credit, bring your basket to check out and ask the cashier to apply your patronage refund. The cashier will then total up your order, apply your refund, and inform you if any leftover balance remains on either your order or your refund. The refund can only be claimed by the main account Owner with a valid ID, regardless of who does the shopping.

For in-store shoppers looking to receive a cash refund, simply visit a Customer Service Desk and ask for a Front End Supervisor. Tell them that you would like to cash out your patronage refund. The refund can only be claimed by the main account Owner with a valid ID, regardless of who does the shopping.

For in-store shoppers looking to receive a check or eGift Card, you will need to fill out this form. You can either print this form out at home and fill it out ahead of time or request one at the Customer Service Desk. The completed form will have to be turned in to a Front End Supervisor by the main account Owner with a valid ID, regardless of who does the shopping. Checks will take a few days to arrive in the mail but eGift Cards should be loaded by your next transaction.

For Curbside Pickup shoppers looking to receive store credit, you will need to make your purchase in store. Unfortunately, we are unable to automatically upload patronage refund amounts to Curbside Pickup accounts. The refund can only be claimed by the main account Owner with a valid ID, regardless of who does the shopping.

For Curbside Pickup shoppers looking to receive a cash refund, you will need to visit a register or the Customer Service Desk in store and the tell the cashier that you would like to cash out your patronage refund. We are unable to bring cash out of the store for Curbside Pickup customers. The refund can only be claimed by the main account Owner with a valid ID, regardless of who does the shopping.

For Curbside Pickup shoppers looking to receive a check or eGift Card, you will need to fill out this form. You can either print this form out at home and fill it out ahead of time or request one during your Curbside Pickup by asking for a Front End Supervisor. The completed form will have to be turned in to a Front End Supervisor by the main account Owner with a valid ID, regardless of who does the shopping. Checks will take at least a week to arrive in the mail but eGift Cards should be loaded by your next transaction.

Any further questions about Patronage Refund can be directed to [email protected] or the Customer Service Desk. Thank you again for your continued support of the Co-op!