Operating the only grocery cooperative in the state of Tennessee has many challenges. You may have noticed some of your favorite products out of stock on the shelves or wondered if your annual member owner interest payment is worth it. Or you may be like some others who feel that shopping at the co-op is expensive when compared to some of the larger national chain grocers.

Last year we hosted Jon Steinman, who is the author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants (New Society Publishers). Jon held a series of cooperative dialogue workshops in the Three Rivers Market dining room, and recently published an article where he addressed the often-times false perception that a grocery co-op is more expensive:

“Claims that food co-ops are more expensive than other grocers often stem from comparisons of apples to oranges. Most food co-ops prioritize local, organic, or more ethical products, which are often priced higher than conventional, mass-produced alternatives. For example, a farm-raised salmon filet is usually cheaper than its wild counterpart, but they are fundamentally different in terms of quality, sourcing practices, and ecological impact. Both are “salmon,” yet the production and harvesting methods diverge significantly. Without further inquiry, a store with a no-ocean-farmed-salmon policy might quickly be labeled as an “expensive” store simply due to its commitment to more ecological fish sources. The same applies to organic versus conventional eggs, fair-trade coffee versus mass-market brands, or fresh-baked artisan bread versus industrial loaves pumped with preservatives.” 

Prices are an important factor in the viability and sustainability of any business, but a grocery co-op has a unique opportunity to support its customers, member-owners, and local community while keeping costs low for it’s shoppers.

“As food prices rise and become more volatile due to extreme weather events, drought, geopolitical instability, trade wars, and risks of centralized and oligopolistic supply, I’m seeing more stable and lower pricing coming from local and regional supply chains. This is no surprise. When centralized systems are stressed or collapse, prices increase. For this reason, where we spend our food dollars and what we spend them on, is not an “expense”, but an “investment”.”

Did you know that 32% of the sales of the co-op come from local vendors? Three Rivers Market sells products from over 100 local and regional vendors!

For the first time in three years Three Rivers Market recorded a profit during the last fiscal year. In the first half of this fiscal year we have seen a decline in sales that has challenged our profitability. The board has been working closely with the General Manager on a slate of exciting new ideas to bolster the business and bring additional value to our community. We hope that the time and resources we are investing in the business will continue to make Three Rivers Market a place you feel proud to shop. At the end of the day, the co-op is not a typical business. It belongs to you, our members. I’ll leave you with one final quote from Mr. Steinman that underscores this truth:

“Co-ops can’t profit off of their customers. Profits at food co-ops are returned back into the co-op, or into the pockets of customers and workers. If the co-op does well, everyone does well. This completely removes a key determinant of price perception – greed. It can’t exist at a co-op. This alone has the power to transform our relationship to food co-op prices.”

If you are interested to read more of Jon’s work, click here to read more on his website.

News and Notes:

In the February board meeting two committees were approved to begin work after the adoption of their charters: Member Linkage and Board Perpetuation. Two additional committees will commence work this month after their charters are similarly approved: Ethics and Staff Involvement in Governance. If you are interested in volunteering on one of these committees, please fill out this form.

A brief (45-minute) March Board meeting will occur during the Board of Directors’ Spring Retreat Sunday, March 2 at the Oakwood-Lincoln Park Clubhouse (916 Shamrock Avenue). There will not be a monthly meeting on the second Thursday of March. Members who wish to attend the Board meeting at the retreat: Please register by Saturday, March 1, by 3 PM. You will receive instructions for arrival at the retreat location via email prior to the start time of the Board meeting at 3:15 PM.

We will resume our regular meeting schedule in April.