By Annette Gallagher
Correspondent

Specialty food retailers have long used consumer education as a marketing tool and customer service. A Market Natural Foods, which has operated in Manchester since 1970, has taken that one step further with an education center.

“We have always conducted seminars and workshops for our customers,” said Gail Rawson, marketing coordinator. “But things were just getting too tight on the store floor, so we decided to set them up in a separate space.”

The education center is located one block up the street in the Willow Tree Plaza, 575 S. Willow St., Suite 206.

“We put the business offices in there a few years ago when we ran out of space in the store, and then a suite opened up next to those, so we took it and made the education center,” Rawson said.

The grand opening is set for Saturday, Sept. 9, and coincides with A Market’s annual customer appreciation day.

The education center will feature programs that fall in line with A Market’s existing philosophies, according to Jackie Thesse, benefits administrator. Naturopathic practitioner Dr. Laura Riley will teach the first workshop, “The Naturopathic Way,” on Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.

“We haven’t even finished setting up yet, but a lot of workshops are already scheduled,” Thesse said. “We know that some of our vendors are going to offer free workshops to educate people about their products, and we will also rent the space to area practitioners of arts such as yoga, holistic medicine and others that fall in line with our philosophies.”

Rawson said the owners, her daughter-in-law Stephanie LaCroix Rawson (whose parents founded the store) and son Kirk Rawson, are dedicated to informing customers as much as possible.

“They have a mission that everyone will eat organic and eat things that are better for them, and they make sure everyone on staff is knowledgeable and well-informed before setting foot on the sales floor,” Rawson said. “The education center is a natural extension of that concept.”

The store’s Web site, www.amarketnaturalfoods.com, has a monthly event schedule that includes available workshop information and contacts for customers to sign up. Cashiers inside the store have sign up information as well. So far, workshops are planned for every Wednesday through the first two weeks of December.

“There are workshops we will host, which we market and promote fully. Some people don’t want that; they simply want the space to have an event for their existing client base or patients, and for those, we will list the event on the Web site and calendar, but the rest is up to them,” Rawson said. Some of those events will be fee-based; the ones hosted by A Market will be free, she says.

Upcoming workshops include:

Oct. 4: “Supplements: Which Are Important and What to Look For”

Oct. 11: “Menopause: Creative Transitions”

Oct. 18: “Getting a Good Night’s Sleep”

Oct. 25: “Boosting Your Immune System”

All workshops begin at 6 p.m. More details are available on the Web site, in the store or by calling 641-1829. For reservations, inquiries and topic suggestions, send an e-mail to education@amarketnaturalfoods.com.

A Market Natural Foods is located at 125 Loring St., Manchester.