Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Kanter.
Emily, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Cambridge Naturals was founded in 1974 by my parents, Michael and Elizabeth, when they were 23 years old. We were originally “Cambridge Natural Foods” – a health food store that sold everything from produce to cheeses and meat to bulk grains and packaged foods, as well as a wide selection of nutritional supplements, body care products and healthy lifestyle goods. Over the years, in part due to intense competition in the area, we transitioned to focus on supplements, body care, and lifestyle, with a smaller, curated selection of grocery and snack foods. As a business, we focus heavily on providing an impeccable selection of goods, deep product knowledge, and excellent customer service. When you walk into our store, you’re greeted by good music, wonderful smells, and friendly, warm staff people. We like to think of our store as another “third place” – one where our customers can come to connect and build community with each other around a healthier lifestyle. Often people walk in and see friends they haven’t run into in months or years. New customers and old often gather around our bulk herbs section, sharing ideas and recipes and products they love. It’s wonderful to watch those high-touch connections, especially in our increasingly digital age!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh it’s been smooth sailing the whole way! Ha, no, but seriously. We’ve had ups and downs over the years – like any 43 year old business! Competition has been fierce for decades, but we’ve always used it as an opportunity to evaluate what makes our business great, and double down on those things. Focusing on great customer experience – high quality service, great products, a beautiful and clean store to shop in. Also treating our staff really well – offering fair wages (we recently transitioned to a starting living wage), 100% health insurance coverage, and other benefits. These things cost money – so we’re also not the cheapest store to shop in. But our customers understand the value we bring to our community and to their lives, and by and large understand that the product price reflects that. We are a family-owned business and it’s very important to us to be of service to our community and our people. So these things have helped us weather the storms – competition, economic downturns, difficulty getting products, etc.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are most known for having a highly curated product selection (many unique and interesting things you can’t find “everywhere”, but also lots of staple goods), and excellent customer service – including highly knowledgeable staff. We send our staff to countless trainings, so that they are well versed in all of our products (especially supplements and body care) and can authentically communicate the value of a particular product to our customers. It’s important to us that our staff not just “sell” products – but actually help our customers find the right product for their particular needs. That helps minimize returns and builds deep trust between our customers and our staff. We’ve had some customers shop with us for 43 years because of this honest, meaningful engagement. It means a lot to us.
What were you like growing up?
I think I was pretty shy – a book nerd, but always smiling and laughing and gained confidence in myself as I got older. I grew up in this business and worked at the store as a teenager and college student. I loved the store as a kid, and was always attached to the staff that have worked with us over the years – I still remember many of them from when I was very little! At the same time, growing up in a natural food store in the 80’s and 90’s wasn’t easy – no one wanted to trade me for my spelt bread and almond butter sandwich at lunchtime. My friends all had access to these cool snacks and treats and fruity smelling products – it took me till my adult years to really understand how amazing it was that I grew up with all organic foods, clean body care, and not always on heavy medication for some minor cold or flu like many of my friends were. I feel pretty lucky!
Contact Info:
- Address: 23 White Street,
Cambridge, MA 02140 - Website: www.cambridgenaturals.com
- Phone: 6174924452
- Email: info@cambridgenaturals.com
- Instagram: @cambridgenaturals
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cambridgenaturals/
- Twitter: @cambnaturals
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