No new food co-op manager (GM) walks into the position fully formed, knowing everything they need to know to make their co-op successful. Even experienced retailers can have a hard time navigating the intricacies of leading a cooperative enterprise. Luckily, Columinate has a large pool of professionals willing to offer the benefits of their experience in order to make leaders within the co-op sector stronger. One such professional is Jen Christopher, a point-of-sale (POS) and IT systems consultant working within Columinate’s GM Development Program.

Jen began her co-op career at the Weaver’s Way in Philadelphia and quickly grew her skills by working with a broader circle of food co-ops. Her expertise centers around understanding POS systems, knowing which reports to utilize to give managers the data they need to make sound operational decisions, managing pricing and margin to make certain that budget goals are being met, and running an effective on-hand inventory to ensure that the numbers are accurate.

What can a candidate general manager expect when they first sign up for your segment?

The first session with a new client is usually about seeing what resources they have, both in terms of existing personnel and institutional knowledge. I look at what system they are working with and what they already know how to do. Following that, I utilize the next few sessions to fill in those knowledge gaps and point them towards any further resources they might need.

What are you hoping that GMs will take away from your portion of the program?

My hope is that when clients walk away from the program, they are more comfortable pulling reports out of the POS system and more confident interpreting those reports. I want them to be aware that in some cases they may need to modify their reports if they find they are not giving them what they need. I want them to know what it means if you are not updating costs regularly, and how to mitigate losses incurred when items make it onto the shelf with the wrong price. I want to help them understand how margins can drift slowly if pricing is overlooked; and that no matter how much time you spend stocking the shelves, if you are selling items below margin, in the end you’re going to lose.

What would you like co-op leaders to keep in mind when choosing a program to help develop their general manager?

Prices are always rising. It can be really hard for co-op leaders to choose to put resources towards things that don’t have an immediate visual return; however, if you are not mindful of the changes taking place behind the scenes and are only putting out fires, it’s just going to get worse.

For more on the GM Development program go here; if you are interested in participating in the program contact Jeanie Wells at jeaniewells@columinate.coop