The to-do list is seemingly endless: cash flow, team building, category management, board relations, reports, goal setting. Many general managers report feeling pulled in many directions during a typical workday, and too soon it seems, another day comes to a close. The feeling that nothing is ever quite finished can be disheartening. The flip side is that being successful in the job means that [...]
For the first time since chain natural food stores rose to prominence in the 1990s, natural food grocery stores have lost market share to conventional competition. The golden era of runaway growth for natural food grocers may become a thing of the past as a variety of competitors have figured out how to effectively sell and merchandise “natural.” This puts enormous pressure on both [...]
If there’s one thing retailers know, it’s that they have to expect surprises and mishaps as a matter of course in business. Many things can go wrong in a flash, and unfortunately, are not that unusual: power outages, organized shoplifting, workplace injury. The safety and security of the store’s physical infrastructure, as [...]
No matter what kind of expansion your co-op wants to do, there are always hurdles to be overcome. Everyone has them, although some projects come with a unique set of challenges. The Hendersonville Community Co-op in Hendersonville, North Carolina has had numerous locations and expansions in its 30+ year history, but their latest expansion going from 3,800 to 8,000 square feet, required a re-working [...]
Mississippi Market St. Paul, MN Year founded: 1979 Equity investment: $90 Number of members: 15,500 Number of employees: 210 Retail locations: Selby Ave., West 7th, and Dayton’s Bluff opening Sept. 2015 It started with the results of an employee satisfaction survey. In 2012, Mississippi Market’s management learned some staff questioned the co-op’s growth plans, and they perceived it was having a negative impact on [...]
Ever had someone ask that simple question: What is the board's job anyway? and wondered where to start? The CDS Consulting Co-op model for cooperative governance, the Four Pillars of Cooperative Governance can help! We identify four pillars built on a foundation of Cooperative Identity that lead to the success of the cooperative. Each piece helps tell the story of the board's job. At the top is Success of [...]
We all spend a lot of time in meetings, but not all meetings are an effective use of our time. Here are nine simple steps to make your meetings more effective and worth the time. Meeting Purpose. Why is this a group meeting? If it’s a standing group meeting, such as a bi-weekly management team meeting, articulate the group’s purpose clearly to [...]
The relationship between the board and general manager is of paramount importance to any cooperative because both parties provide a connection to the co-op’s main constituency: owners. The co-op owners trust that their elected representatives will provide good governance on their behalf, resulting in positive outcomes toward fulfilling the co-op’s goals. In turn, the board delegates responsibility to management to carry out operational strategies [...]
The members of the CDS Consulting Co-op were deeply honored and humbled by the Howard Bowers Fund Award for Cooperative Innovation and Achievement bestowed on CDS CC at the Consumer Co-op Managers Association conference in Madison, Wisconsin, this past month. It is certainly gratifying to be recognized for the programs we instigated, like Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD), Four Pillars of Cooperative Governance, and [...]
City Market Onion River Co-op Burlington, VT Year founded: 1973 Member investment: $200 equity Number of members: 10,000 Retail square feet: 12,000 Number of employees: 215 The City Market Onion River Co-op in Burlington, Vt. is a thriving downtown food co-op celebrating its 40th anniversary. It’s poised for growth and with a membership of 10,000 people has made a real impact during its history. [...]
