by Jeannine DeWald, General Manager
When we last checked in, Spring had finally come to Vermont, Greenhouse season was in full swing, and we had just completed the store reset. An entire season has since gone by, and late Summer means lots of local produce, the return of mums and pumpkins, and the beginning of the busy Stovepipe season.
Our 2026 Greenhouse season performed considerably better than last year’s. From April through June of this year, total plant sales were over $171,000. We sold over 19,000 plants, all of which were grown right here in Vermont! This year’s local vendors included Claussen’s, Paquette’s, Friends and Neighbor’s Farm, and Blackbird Organics. The department as a whole, which includes soils, amendments, gardening tools, and more, also performed quite well, with revenues totaling $259,400, a nearly 10% increase over last year.
Overall, we are happy with the store’s performance in the second quarter. Total revenues were $889,052, which represents a 6.4% increase over 2025. Though we did not hit our budgeted goal of $908,874, we did come within 2.2% of our target, and the positive growth over last year is encouraging.
| Q2 | 2026 Budget | 2026 Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | 908,874 | 889,052 | -2.2% |
| Cost of Goods Sold | 539,070 | 532,445 | -1.2% |
| Expenses | 321,061 | 268,437 | -16.4% |
| Net Profit | 48,743 | 88,170 | 80.9% |
| Q2 | 2025 Actual | 2026 Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | 835,591 | 889,052 | 6.4% |
| Cost of Goods Sold | 512,746 | 532,445 | 3.8% |
| Expenses | 268,670 | 268,437 | -0.1% |
| Net Profit | 54,175 | 88,170 | 62.8% |
| *Excludes 2025 Donation Income and Gain on the Sale of the building |
Most departments on the grocery-side saw increased revenues compared to last year. Produce performed especially well, with revenue increases of nearly 21%. Much of this can be attributed to our amazing local growers that keep us well stocked on everything from cucumbers and tomatoes, to strawberries and blueberries, to leafy greens and beyond. This year’s local producers include Blackbird Organics, Small Axe Farm, LePage Farm, Cate Farm, and many others.
July sales for most grocery-side departments were also positive, with Produce again showing substantial growth over last year of nearly 24%. The Refrigerated and Bakery departments also saw considerable increases. For some of the grocery-side departments, we have seen a considerable increase in sales volume over last year, but since prices have come down due to our partnership with INFRA, we are not yet seeing substantial increases in actual revenue. We feel reasonably confident that this is a natural part of our growth process, and that as we continue to increase our sales volume, revenues will increase accordingly. One of our newest strategies is the introduction of member-only deals. Shoppers will still enjoy the benefit of our bi-weekly rotating sales for everyone, but beginning August 12th, member-only deals will also be available on a four-week rotating cycle, offering Co-op members even more ways to save! You must be a member in good standing to be eligible for these deals, so now is a great time to join or renew your membership.
| July | 2026 Budget | 2026 Actual | Difference |
| Income | 253,000 | 245,320 | -3.0% |
| July | 2025 Actual | 2026 Actual | Difference |
| Income | 243,150 | 245,320 | 0.9% |
On the hardware-side, we are still working to address the downturn in sales. The reset in April brought us expanded selections of plumbing, electrical, power tools, hardware essentials and more. At the time of the reset, Hardware sales were down about 15% over the prior year. For the second quarter they were down 12.6%. We have seen some improvement over the month of July, in which sales were down by only 5.7%. Of course we are ultimately looking for year over year growth, but we are hoping this is the beginning of a positive upward trend. We encourage everyone to check out our new offerings, and if there’s something you want that we don’t carry, please don’t hesitate to ask! There’s a good chance we can order it for you. Our hardware vendor, Emery Jensen, offers a wide selection of items from automotive and marine supplies, to kitchen gadgets, storage and organization, office supplies, home décor, toys, games, puzzles, and more! Want to see more items like these on our shelves? Your feedback is always welcome and will help guide us in making this a store that’s truly for everyone.
As always, I continue to be grateful for our amazing staff and the support of such a strong and vibrant community. This project has been quite a journey, and it’s amazing how far we’ve come in the last two years. I look forward to our continued partnership in making this the best co-op we can be.
Become a Co-op member today!
Ask any staff person at the store
or get membership info and the form here: https://plainfieldcoop.com/membership/