Neighborhood Co-op Grocery

What Neighborhood Co-op Grocery does

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store operating from a single retail location at 1815 W. Main St., Carbondale, Illinois. Founded in 1985, the store sells fresh foods across departments including Deli (with a daily hot bar and prepared foods), Bakery, Bulk Foods, Produce, Meats, Wellness, and Gifts & General Merchandise, applying a stated product standard that excludes GMOs and artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and chemical additives. While anyone can shop without becoming a member, ownership confers voting rights, board election participation, and access to the Co-op Basics Program. The store is open daily from 8 am to 9 pm and was named the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce 2024 Business of the Year.

The cooperative's revenue is generated primarily through retail grocery sales, with secondary streams from takeout catering (phone-in orders for breakfast/brunch/lunch/dinner), specialty merchandise including 40th anniversary commemorative items, advertising in its Morsel magazine, and ticket sales for recurring community events such as the annual Feed Your Neighbor 5K fundraiser (benefiting Good Samaritan House of Carbondale) and the Farm Crawl (benefiting Food Works). General Manager Francis Murphy reports to an elected Board of Directors at the annual Owner Fest meeting. Distribution is exclusively through the physical storefront plus phone-based catering; the company has no e-commerce channel, no mobile app, and no proprietary technology platform beyond a Wix-hosted website and Robly email newsletter. Operating geographies are limited to Southern Illinois, and the store became the first in the region to receive the EPA Silver Level GreenChill certification for refrigerant reduction.

Name

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery

Legal name

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery

Website

https://neighborhood.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store in Carbondale, Illinois, founded in 1985. It serves general community consumers and member-owners with fresh, non-GMO foods across deli, bakery, bulk, produce, meats, and wellness departments, plus takeout catering and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Food Stores (5400)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB), Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG), Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF)

Keywords

• Grocery retail
• Organic foods
• Cooperative grocery
• Fresh produce
• Deli prepared foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Carbondale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Primary revenue from retail sales of fresh foods including deli, bakery, bulk, meats, produce, wellness products, and general merchandise. The co-op operates a full-service grocery with daily deli hot bar and prepared foods.
2. Takeout Catering: Takeout catering services for events - breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Call-in orders at 618.529.3533 x 214. Focus on made-from-scratch dishes using wholesome ingredients.
3. Specialty Merchandise: Sale of specialty merchandise including 40th Anniversary items (t-shirts, stickers, tote bags), Morsel Magazine advertising, and Farm Crawl passes/stickers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store operating a single retail location in Carbondale, Illinois, that sells fresh and organic foods across departments including Deli (hot bar and prepared foods), Bakery, Bulk, Produce, Meats, Wellness, and Gifts & General Merchandise. The co-op also offers deli takeout catering, gift cards, community programs (Co-op Basics, Link Match), and hosts annual community events such as the Feed Your Neighbor 5K fundraiser and Farm Crawl farm tour.

Product overview

Neighborhood Co-op Grocery operates as a single fresh foods grocery store in Carbondale, Illinois, offering a traditional grocery retail experience organized into distinct departments. The core offerings include a Deli with hot bar items and daily specials, Bakery, Bulk Foods, Produce, Meats, Wellness products, and Gifts & General Merchandise. Beyond retail, the Co-op provides services including takeout catering, gift cards, and the Co-op Basics Program for affordable essentials. The company also hosts community events including the annual Feed Your Neighbor 5K fundraiser and Farm Crawl event, sells commemorative merchandise for its 40th anniversary, and offers advertising space in its Morsel magazine. As a cooperative, the store is owned by community members who receive benefits including discounted class fees and voting rights at the annual Owner Fest meeting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deli In-store deli department offering hot bar items including pizza, sandwiches, burritos, and daily specials, plus vegan and vegetarian options. Available to all community shoppers.
• Bakery In-store bakery department offering fresh baked goods produced in-house.
• Bulk Foods Bulk foods department offering products customers can purchase in their desired quantities.
• Produce Fresh produce section featuring local and organic options.
• Meats Fresh meat products with standards for humane sourcing.
• Wellness Health and wellness products including vitamins and supplements.
• Gifts & General Merchandise Gift items and general merchandise available at the Co-op.
• Deli Catering/Takeout Takeout catering service for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner using organic and/or local ingredients made from scratch. Orders placed by calling the co-op.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase at the Co-op, redeemable for in-store purchases.
• 40th Anniversary Merchandise Commemorative items including t-shirts, stickers, tote bags, and button magnets celebrating the Co-op's 40th anniversary.
• Farm Crawl Car Pass Car pass providing access to the annual self-guided farm tour event (Farm Crawl), with single-day ($20) and multi-day ($30) options.
• Feed Your Neighbor 5K Annual 5K run/walk fundraiser supporting Good Samaritan House of Carbondale.
• Farm Crawl Annual self-guided farm tour event benefiting Food Works, supporting the development of a regional food economy in southern Illinois.
• Morsel Magazine Advertising Advertising space available in the Co-op's Morsel magazine, with full-page, half-page, and quarter-page options.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Food WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Works is the designated beneficiary of the annual Farm Crawl event proceeds. This non-profit organization facilitates the development of a regional food economy in southern Illinois. The Farm Crawl car passes and donations directly fund Food Works' mission to strengthen the local food system.
• Good Samaritan House of CarbondalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Samaritan House is the annual beneficiary of the Feed Your Neighbor 5K fundraiser. This organization provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, soup kitchen, food pantry, and emergency assistance to vulnerable citizens in the Carbondale area. All 5K proceeds go directly to support their programs.
• So Ill RacingminorOthersProfessional race timing and certification services for the Feed Your Neighbor 5K event. Provides certified race course and professional timing services.
• Heartland Health Food Dealers AssociationminorOthersSponsor for the 2026 Farm Crawl event. Supports the regional farm tour event that benefits Food Works.
• SIH (Southern Illinois Healthcare)minorOthersSponsor for the 2026 Farm Crawl event. Regional healthcare provider supporting local community events.
• Cahokia RiceminorOthersSponsor for the 2026 Farm Crawl event. Local/regional food producer supporting the farm tour.
• AES SolarminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• FIR-SUREminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• Explore CarbdondaleminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• St. NicholasminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• Banterra BankminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• HeartlandminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• SilkwormminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• Credit UnionminorOthers2026 Feed Your Neighbor 5K sponsor.
• Steam Shovel CoffeeminorOthersCollaborated on celebratory special edition coffee bags for the 40th Anniversary. Coffee available in-store and at the anniversary event.
• 17th Street WarehouseminorOthersVenue host for Owner Fest 2025 annual meeting, located at 214 N 17th St, Murphysboro, IL 62966.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: National premium natural and organic grocery chain owned by Amazon, offering deli, bakery, produce, bulk, and wellness departments with comparable product standards; represents the scaled incumbent that competes for the same health-conscious customer segment as Neighborhood Co-op Grocery.
• Aldi: National discount grocery chain with growing private-label natural and organic lines, operating locations in Carbondale; competes with Neighborhood Co-op Grocery on price-sensitive grocery baskets in the same trade area.
• Natural Grocers: National chain specializing in natural and organic groceries with strict quality standards (no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners) directly comparable to Neighborhood Co-op Grocery's product standard commitments, but operating at chain scale rather than cooperative structure.
• Fresh Thyme Market: Midwest-focused natural and organic grocery chain offering produce, deli, bakery, bulk, and wellness products in small-to-mid sized markets across the region, directly overlapping with Neighborhood Co-op Grocery's natural foods positioning and Midwestern geography.

Direct peers

• New Pioneer Food Co-op: Member-owned community food cooperative in Iowa City/Coralville with deli, bakery, bulk, produce, and wellness departments, serving a college-town market similar to Neighborhood Co-op Grocery's Carbondale university-community context.
• Seward Community Co-op: Member-owned natural foods cooperative grocery in Minneapolis, operating multiple locations with deli, bakery, produce, and bulk departments under a similar community-led ownership model directly comparable to Neighborhood Co-op Grocery.
• PCC Community Markets: Largest community-owned food cooperative in the US, operating multiple natural and organic grocery locations in the Seattle area with deli, bakery, bulk, and wellness departments under a member-owned governance model closely aligned with Neighborhood Co-op Grocery's structure.
• Wheatsville Food Co-op: Community-owned natural foods cooperative in Austin, TX, offering deli, bakery, produce, bulk, and wellness products under a member-ownership structure with strong local sourcing and community event programming analogous to Neighborhood Co-op Grocery.

Others

• National Co+op Grocers (NCG): Cooperative wholesale and services organization representing more than 150 food co-ops across the US; comparable as the umbrella organization Neighborhood Co-op Grocery likely aligns with for sourcing, branding, and shared services supporting its member-owned grocery model.

Regional players

• Schnucks: Regional supermarket chain headquartered in St. Louis with strong presence throughout Southern and Central Illinois including Carbondale; represents the conventional grocery competitor Neighborhood Co-op Grocery competes against for share-of-wallet in its local trade area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carbondalecoop
• Instagraminstagram.com/neighborhood_coop
• Xx.com/carbondale_coop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neighborhood-co-op

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Neighborhood Co-op Grocery