BriarPatch Co-Op weighs expansion options

BriarPatch Co-op Market is bursting at the seams. The community-owned organic grocery store has grown from $6 million in annual sales to $25 million in seven years. While such growth is a good problem to have, it’s still a problem.

And the Co-op knows it.

“For almost a year, BriarPatch has been involved in a development process to chart our future direction,” says Chris Maher, General Manager of BriarPatch. “As with anything else, we want our store to create sustainable growth, with a clear eye on how best to serve our owners and community.”

Since early 2013, Maher has led a development team of staff, board members, and industry experts in seeking the most effective ways to respond to the ever-increasing demand for the foods and services BriarPatch provides. 

A report of the work to date was mailed to BriarPatch owners via “The Vine” newsletter on March 28, 2014. The report is also available — along with a range of other information, and a shopper survey — at www.briarpatch.coop.

For a community-owned business to expand, the list of considerations is long — ranging from the business intricacies of potentially running more than one store, to critical architectural and operational details, to the principles by which the cooperative is governed.

“I’m very proud of our process,” says Board President Alan Weisberg. “We’re doing our due diligence in considering a smart path forward. It has been a learning process for many of us, and we now need to share our thoughts so far with the people who own our store.”

BriarPatch owners elect a board that oversees the general manager, who oversees the daily retail work. Ownership stands currently at 6,000 households.

The three strategies under consideration include:
Strategy A: Maintain the market at Sierra College Drive (with minor expansion and a store reset for the long-term), and in addition develop a second market.
Strategy B: Relocate to a new, central site for a larger market.
Strategy C: Expand the existing market (and do not develop other locations).

Each strategy will call for a capital investment in the range of $5 to 7 million within the next three to five years.

According to the report, each strategy presents its own unique challenges. For Strategy A, the development team looked at 20 possible second market sites in the Highway 49 corridor.

“We have been surprised that there are no readily available, suitable, existing buildings,” the report notes.

The second store must provide at least 6,000 square feet of retail space and would accommodate projected growth for the next ten years, according to the report.

With all three strategies, addressing parking and operational efficiencies are of paramount importance.

With an eye to relocating from the store’s current location on Sierra College Drive, Strategy B noted potential developments at Loma Rica Ranch, Olympia Plaza, and Dorsey Drive as three possibilities that meet the basic requirements for central access. Perhaps the most far-reaching of the three options, Strategy B would double the retail space from its current size of 9,000 to 18,000 square feet. This would “meet BriarPatch’s growth projections for the next 15 years,” the report noted.

Strategy C considered the possibility of expanding the existing retail space to 12,000 square feet. More parking would be added. This would meet BriarPatch’s growth projections for the next five years.

The report was mailed to BriarPatch owners via “The Vine” newsletter on March 28, and is available with a survey, FAQs, Pros and Cons, and more at www.briarpatch.coop.

“We need to have a serious conversation about our future,” notes Maher. “We haven’t made up our mind yet about any strategy; it’s time to hear what our owners think.”

To that end, “The Vine” encouraged members to read the report, and if they have more questions, to attend one of three upcoming question and answer sessions; to fill out an online survey; or to talk to BriarPatch board members who will be tabling in the store through the month of April.

—BriarPatch

Speak Your Mind

Tell us what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Follow us on PinterestFollow us on Pinterest