If you’ve never worked in a grocery store, you may not know how many apples are in a pound, or what a ¼ pound of salad green looks like. We know this can be frustrating for new members, and we’re often asked to mimic the grocery store experience - for instance, offering apples by the piece. Unfortunately that’s not possible. We choose the units based on logistical considerations that help keep PanPan running smoothly. In our experience, everyone gets used to shopping this way and we trust you will, too!

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is that we start placing orders from our vendors at around 11am on Wednesday based on our members’ orders.

If you miss the deadline - go for it! You may not get everything you want but we’ll do our best.

We sell fresh food, not widgets, and therefore things can change at the last minute and sometimes an item you ordered becomes unavailable. It could be because we miscalculated (like the number of cabbages in a case), or it could be that one of our suppliers sends us a less-than-awesome product (think, slimy lettuce). When these incidents arise, we simply adjust the total amount on your pick sheet.

As explained in the last FAQ, sometimes things change at the last minute and we need to adjust your total amount due. For this reason, we take payment when you pick up your share.

Human error is a thing. This is why we ask that you check the contents of your share before leaving PanPan. However, if you get home and realize that it is missing an item that you paid for, we have a couple choices:

• Come back and pick it up. Even though PanPan has limited hours, we have staff working in the retail shop or warehouse every day of the week and they can retrieve your missing item(s).

• Send us an email and we’ll refund you.

Did we mention that human error is a thing? If you forget to pick up your share during PanPan’s open hours, please email us to arrange for a late pick up.

On Monday morning we contact anyone who didn’t pick up their share to make arrangements for a late pick up. You also have the option to abandon your share and pay for the items can not be returned to our inventory.

It’s important to remember that we purchase products from our vendors based on our members’ orders. We reserve these products for you, and consider them pre-sold. In order for us to keep our margins low and not lose money, we can’t absorb unclaimed shares.

If you choose to abandon your share and don’t pay us for the items that can not be resold, you will be removed as a member.

The $4.00 service fee is added to cover overhead costs.

We choose a service fee over higher prices to acknowledge the reality that every order requires the same amount of work on the back end. Whether you order 2 items or 22 items, our team has to perform all the tasks related to fulfilling your order. We would rather keep our prices low, and encourage folks to place bigger orders to offset the percentage of the service fee.

When choosing which products to offer, our team applies a combination of values, logistical considerations, and member preferences. Go here to see our purchasing rubric. [INSERT PDF]

Email us at pandemicpantryphilly@gmail.com