Strategic Plan

Our Long-Range Goals

We are committed to steady progress toward these goals over five years (2024-2028):

1. Cooperative Ownership

Goal: Our members own a successful cooperative business that meets their needs and engages them to continuously strengthen their Co-op.

Strategies:

• Provide welcoming, vibrant, and friendly stores where people enjoy coming to shop, eat, learn, and gather.
• Educate people about the co-op difference and ensure that members are engaged, feel connected, and know that their input matters.
• Measure results, celebrate successes, and share both with staff, customers, vendors, and the community.

2. Strong Local Food Systems

Goal: Our Co-op is the best place to buy local and organic food, and plays an essential role in building a stronger local food system.

Strategies:

• Be a trusted source of information about why buying wholesome and sustainably grown food matters to the health of people and the planet.
• Steadily increase the amount, consistency, and variety of local products sold through our stores.
• Develop and implement a plan for how to leverage our Farm Fund, in coordination with operations to build the capacity of local farmers to sell through our Co-op.

3. Exemplary Workplace

Goal: Our staff are proud to be a part of creating a positive, innovative workplace where workers and customers feel valued and respected.

Strategies:

• Cultivate a culture of trust, cooperation, learning, and innovation at every level of the organization.
• Ensure that staff and managers have the support they need to provide exceptional customer service, working together as an informed, confident team.
• Recognize the good work of our employees by providing competitive wages and benefits while upholding our values and keeping our Co-op fiscally sound.

4. Healthy Food Access

Goal: Our community relies on the Co-op as a place where people of different incomes, viewpoints, and identities can easily access healthy and nutritious food.

Strategies:

• Offer a range of healthy options on our shelves and in the deli that meet various income levels and household sizes.
• Research, develop, and act upon strategies for reaching underserved communities throughout Whatcom County.
• Expand and promote customer access to buying in bulk and food access programs, so that our customers can save money and eat well.

5. Sustainable Community

Goal: Our shoppers know that when they buy food through the Co-op, they are contributing to the larger effort to build a sustainable and resilient community.

Strategies:

• Continuously improve the Co-op’s sustainability practices (such as energy efficiency and waste reduction) and help our members make sustainable choices.
• Identify and highlight advocacy opportunities for the membership around issues such as climate change that affect the co-op business, healthy food access, and local agriculture.
• Partner with organizations that preserve and protect farmland and champion food system initiatives.