Local Department Store Coop
Middlebury VT–looking for a way to keep businesses local Looking for ways to b e pro-active on local efforts, create an environment for something that supports the local economy more. We don't want to be anywhere USA.
Buying power of large food stores, commercial stores etc. make it difficult.
How to create a coop for local merchandise, something different or unusual–aim for something different–no idea of where to start.
Town plan has identified a local center for this–town owned land, how to create an environment that welcomes this marketing analysis–does this model exist–an alternative to Walmart–would like to see Middlebury take an approach/experiment of a new mercantile, new model and test the franchise concept.
Personal–what do you want? See so much of society looking for low prices, personally can spend a little more to do local shopping and not spend a lot doing shopping-seductive to go to a place with lots of selection, low prices, quality cheap, go back home and order from local lumberyard. More and more we're impatient, want more, want low prices, ease of pricing, plus profit for the enterprise.
Hannah Grimes Non-Profit-Keene NH, retail outlet as well as technical assistance and support for locally owned businesses, arts, producers, small manufacturers, shares food prep certified kitchen– WREN-Women Resource Entrepreneurial Network–retail store, WREN Marketplace, weavers, jewelers, arts and crafts, services (accounting, typesetting).
What are the local businesses, what are they creating and help create a local market/Marilyn Cooper from WREN here at conference.
Hayden CO–trying to gain a local coop
Middlebury-trying not to be a local town, catering to local needs.
Natural food coop a possibility–just did a huge expansion, but cannot take on a new project at this time.
Who do you find to bring in, and bring the right things in? OR Do you start something from scratch?
First, look at what's out there, and what's a store equivalent.
Concord–need, demand for clean, green soaps–how to have some “stamp” of “green” items, push broom rather than vacuum, scrubber rather than dishwasher. Online green goods store–collected through research an online store of green goods. Books, periodicals, etc–16,000 different items (www.greenshopper.com)
Aldi's discount food store is coming to Middlebury. Bargain items from bargaining down the suppliers–good quality, low prices and no problems with globalization. Karl Albrecht
Climate locally for locally produced things is so important, strong farmers market (www.farmdiner.com). Farm Diner model originally in Barre, now in Quechee–franchise of good food, local food, connect with locals.
CSA agriculture model has anything to be done to cut down driving, delivery, etc.
Canterbury Country Store, community owned LLC, leased to shopkeeper to keep country store open in small town, social capital hub. article here: (http://www.bettertogethernh.org/scstory.htm#canterbury)
Orton Foundation box store evaluator tool.
Get a market study that shows commercial viability for what town wants, site specific to the property that's open. Show what income and sales likely to be. This will show potential operators. Hire Jeff Hershey, Troy, Michigan. Then open RFP for that site, buildable site with parking option.
Check Middlebury coop and interest in branching out to hard goods, work with resources in the community.
THE MERC is a community owned store in Powell, WY.