[Dr. Sivana]

If it's not actually packaged, it's a strong indicator of poor quality because it shows a lack of concern for shelf stability, freshness, and exposure to light and oxygen, causing it to stale very quickly.

Or, it could mean that the store has high turnover. The Fresh Market stores use bins (tops of barrels, actually), and the stuff is fresh as it sells quickly. Besides, packaging shows a lack of ecological concern. You could be suffocating mother earth with spent fossil fuels and over-flowing landfill due to packaged coffee.

[goodwithagun]

I’ve read other sites regarding bulk food in bins at Whole Foods and the claim is the same: it’s very fresh because of the high turnover.