National Co+op Grocers Adds Two Co-ops, Growing Membership to 165

Oct 03, 2024

Saint Paul, MN - National Co+op Grocers (NCG), the business services cooperative for retail food co-ops nationwide, is today welcomes two new members - one from California and one from Vermont - bringing its total to 165 members and 240 storefronts in 39 states. The new members are:

Buffalo Mountain Market, Hardwick, VT

Founded in 1975, Buffalo Mountain Market has been serving Hardwick and surrounding communities for nearly 50 years. The co-op's purpose is to foster a community-owned and operated, health-oriented, thriving enterprise that:

• Educates the community on food politics, health issues and social-cultural activities;
• Demonstrates compassionate, alternative approaches to structuring a work environment;
• Offers healthy, proactive choices; and,
• Welcomes and supports all aspects of its community.

The co-op has more than 3,500 active owners and $6 million in annual sales.

SunCoast Market Co-op, Imperial Beach, CA

SunCoast Market Co-op is a grassroots effort to open a community-owned, full-service cooperative grocery store in the Imperial Beach area. Its focus is on strengthening local food systems, increasing access to healthy food and providing needed retail outlets for small local farms and producers.

The co-op's mission is to provide natural, local and organic products at reasonable prices while supporting the local economy, promoting food education and advocating for environmentally sustainable practices. SunCoast Market Co-op, set to open in early 2025, already has more than 1,170 owners and projects $2.7 million in first-year sales.

"These co-ops represent the essence of what it means to build resilient, community-focused businesses that prioritize sustainable food systems," said C.E. Pugh, NCG Chief Executive Officer. "Their commitment to local producers and their communities strengthens our shared vision for a more equitable and cooperative food economy. We are honored to welcome them into our cooperative."

About NCG

National Co+op Grocers (NCG), founded in 1999, is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the United States. NCG helps unify food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere. Our 165 member co-ops operate more than 240 storefronts in 39 states with combined annual sales of nearly $2.5 billion. NCG is a winner of the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence and a certified B Corp. Find a map of NCG member co-ops. To learn more about co-ops, visit grocery.coop.

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Media inquiries may be directed to Eric Davis at [email protected], 612-202-9407.