As we wrap up 2023, which is also our Co-op’s ninth year in business as a public-facing retail store, I am thrilled to report that it was another stellar year for us.
We ended the year with $7.4 million in sales, which is a 5% increase over last year. We also purchased well over $1.8 million in foods and other goods directly from Maine farmers and producers. Thanks once again, to all of you, for making our Co-op a significant economic engine in our local foods’ economy. Your purchasing decisions make a tangible difference here.
In 2023, our Co-op also grew to over seven thousand Member-Owners. Back in 2014, we were given a challenge to grow to over two thousand Member-Owners. At the time, this was considered the benchmark for sustainability and proof that Portland embraced us. Now that we have more than tripled that, I feel that Portland has embraced us and considers us a valuable part of the local economy.
Next December, our retail store turns ten years old, and you’d better believe we are going to have a party!
We are far enough removed from our early days that many of you might think that the Portland Food Co-op has always been here, or at least existed for years in some form similar to our current state. You might not know that we started as an idea by a group of friends meeting in a living room in 2006. You might not know that we then spent the next eight years evolving as a buying club, hosted by several property-owning benefactors around Portland. You might not know that it was only in 2012 that we dared to start thinking about opening a real store. You might not know that dozens of people volunteered hundreds of hours of their time and talent to do all of the work necessary to bring our retail store to fruition.
Saying we are community-owned does not do justice to our story. We are community-inspired, community-planned, and community-created. In an age where independent grocery stores are disappearing, our community-owned grocery store is bucking that trend. We are not just surviving, we are thriving.
In an age where food producers and retail food workers are some of the least valued and compensated people in our workforce, we are bucking that trend as well. We passionately believe in paying our local farmers and producers a fair price for their goods. We are also committed to providing the best wages and benefits possible for our staff. They are all local food system professionals and deserve that level of respect.
Let me close out 2023 with one of my favorite quotes. I am continually inspired by the words of anthropologist, Margaret Mead—
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Your participation in our Co-op is creating change. Thank you for this.
In Cooperation,
John Crane
General Manager