Company: NGVC
Filing Date: 2025-12-11
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001437749-25-037556
Chunk: 788

Company: Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-12-11
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 788
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Item 1. Business.

General

Natural Grocers® is an expanding specialty retailer of natural and organic groceries and dietary supplements. We focus on providing high-quality products at affordable prices, exceptional customer service, nutrition education and community outreach. We strive to generate long-term relationships with our customers based on transparency and trust by:

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			selling only natural and organic groceries, body care products and dietary supplements that meet our strict quality guidelines - we do not approve for sale grocery products that are known to contain artificial flavors, preservatives or sweeteners, synthetic colors, or partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils;

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			utilizing an efficient and flexible smaller-store format to offer affordable prices and a convenient, clean and shopper-friendly retail environment;

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			enhancing our customers’ shopping experience by providing free science-based nutrition education to help our customers make well-informed health and nutrition choices; and

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			incorporating principles of ecological sustainability into our product standards and Company practices.

1

Table of Contents

Our History and Founding Principles

Our founders, Margaret and Philip Isely, were early proponents of the connection between health and the use of natural and organic products and dietary supplements. In the mid-1950’s, Margaret transformed her health and the health of her family by applying concepts and principles she learned from books on nutrition. This inspired the Iselys to provide the same type of nutrition education to their community. The Iselys started by lending books on nutrition and providing samples of whole grain bread door-to-door in Golden, Colorado and subsequently concluded they could develop a viable business that would also improve their customers’ wellbeing. Over time, they fostered relationships through nutrition education and began taking orders for dietary supplements, whole grain bread and unprocessed foods. As their customers gained more knowledge about nutrition, they were empowered to make changes to their diets with the objective of supporting their health. Using this model as the foundation for their business, the Iselys opened their first store in 1958.

We are committed to maintaining the following founding principles, which have helped foster our growth:

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			Nutrition Education. We provide free nutrition education in the communities we serve. Empowering our customers and our employees (or our Crew members) to take charge of their lives and their health is the foundation upon which our business is built.

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			Quality. Every product on our shelves must go through a rigorous screening and approval process. Our mission