by Jeannine DeWald, General Manager
Dear Co-op and Community Members,
This past December, I returned to Plainfield Co-op as General manager. It is an honor to serve the Co-op again as staff and membership work together to guide the Co-op in its latest adventure.
I want to start by thanking each of you for all you have contributed to Plainfield Co-op. You are the heart of our community, and your support makes this project possible. It has been wonderful to see both new and familiar faces shopping our store, working on committees, and participating in our mission to bring healthy food and other goods to the larger Plainfield community. Thanks to all of you, that mission now includes hardware, lawn and garden, household items, a greenhouse, and a fabulous deli!
Special thanks are due to our wonderful and innovative staff, who have gone above and beyond to accomplish multiple large, small, and often challenging projects over the past several months. I’m incredibly proud of them. I’ve never seen anyone hustle like this before. Constant change and one big project after another. It is amazing what has been accomplished so far, and we could not have done it without all of you.
As we move into the Spring season, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past quarter, and share some highlights from Plainfield Co-op’s operations, challenges, and plans for the future. The original business plan assumed the Co-op would make the move to Route 2 shortly after the time of purchase, and that increased revenues would immediately follow. However, without a General Manager, store design, or equipment in place, the move was delayed for several months. When I came on in December, shelving and coolers had been purchased, and the Route 2 staff had begun expanding the product line, but the closure of the village location was still ahead of us, as well as the move itself.
We faced the additional challenge of merging two very different point of sale systems, a complicated process that would take several months to complete. As of April 1 it is fully up and running, which means we can now take annual membership payments, recharge member gift cards, and accept new memberships! We’ve already gained some new members and will be holding a membership drive soon!
Revenues have also risen steadily since the February move to Route 2. January sales for the combined stores were only 64% of budgeted revenues, but by February, they had climbed to 74%, and by March, 79%. Through increased customer traffic and continued expansion of our product line, we expect revenues to continue to climb, reaching 100% of budget by December 2025. Our projections are shown in the table below.
2025 Proforma (Projection) vs. Actual/Estimated Future Revenues:
Product selection has been essential to our continued growth. We have recently expanded the cheese and wine departments to include several new offerings, and are continuing to add new grocery, bulk, and wellness items. We have initiated relationships with several new vendors this month, and aim to expand our grocery offerings to include a wider selection of organic, natural, and conventional items to suit the tastes, preferences, and budgets of the wider Plainfield community, members and non-members alike. We strive to keep products as affordable as possible while also nurturing our connections with local farmers and producers.
The Co-op has a number of time-sensitive capital projects that require our attention. These include building modifications to meet current fire safety standards, repairs to the rear wall and roof of the grocery-side of the building, and the purchase and installation of cooling systems to maintain appropriate temperatures for shelf-stable food products, as well as to provide a comfortable environment for staff and shoppers. We are currently looking at heat pump systems with partial rebates available from Efficiency Vermont. Complete estimates for these projects are still being determined.
Due to the scope and scale of these projects, and to allow time for continued growth of the business at Route 2, fundraising for the Co-op is ongoing. There are many ways you can help! If you are not yet a member, you can join! A full membership share is $180 per person, which can be paid at $20 per year, or $180 upfront. Paying your full membership share helps to ensure these projects are fully capitalized. If you are already a member and have been making regular annual payments, you can also opt to pay off your share in full! If you would like to make a gift or member loan toward these projects, please contact the Co-op’s Board of Directors at board@plainfieldcoop.com. Donations of $1,000 or less can be made directly through our Give Butter account. https://givebutter.com/plainfieldcoophardware. If you have fundraising ideas, please share them with the Board.
I want to thank everyone again for their continued support, and invite you to share your thoughts, ideas and requests with us. For general information and requests, please contact us at info@plainfieldcoop.com. If you would like to reach out to me personally, please email me at gm@plainfieldcoop.com. It truly takes a village, and we are grateful for all you do. See you at the store!
