Bloomingfoods

What Bloomingfoods does

Bloomingfoods Co-op Market (formally Bloomington Cooperative Services) is a community-owned consumer cooperative operating two retail grocery stores in Bloomington, Indiana: the East Store at 3220 East 3rd Street and the Near West Store at 316 West Sixth Street. Founded in 1976, the cooperative serves the general public with locally-sourced, organic, sustainable, and fair trade grocery products, supplemented by house-made deli and prepared foods, the Gallery B art gallery space inside the Near West Store, and the Bfoods2U curbside pickup service. The business is governed democratically by more than 8,500 owner-members under a one-member-one-vote structure with elected board representation.

The cooperative's revenue is generated through retail grocery sales open to any shopper regardless of membership, recurring equity contributions from owner-members, and special and holiday pre-orders. Pricing is structured around standard unit pricing, member-only discount days (15% off on specified days), Wellness Wednesday promotions (20% off wellness products), and access programs including the now-concluded SNAP Double Dollars (funded by a $583,626 Indiana Department of Health grant that ended June 15, 2025) and the ongoing Bloomingfoods For All (20% off for SNAP-receiving owner-members). In 2023, the co-op paid $1.51 million to local farmers and producers, was recognized with the Bloom Magazine Community Award for Support of Local Vendors, and received a 2024 Bronze Bicycle Friendly Business designation.

The technology stack is entirely non-proprietary: standard point-of-sale systems, a basic e-commerce storefront at Bfoods2u.com, and email and social media marketing. No proprietary platform, AI/ML capability, or data flywheel is disclosed. Strategic activity centers on long-range East Store expansion planning under a new long-term lease signed in 2023, governance updates via Bylaw Section 2.7, and continued member-base broadening (more than 300 net new owner-members added in 2023).

Name

Bloomingfoods

Legal name

Bloomingfoods Co-op Market (Bloomington Cooperative Services)

Website

https://bloomingfoods.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Bloomingfoods is a community-owned consumer cooperative operating two grocery stores in Bloomington, Indiana, serving the general public and 8,500+ owner-members with local, organic, sustainable, and fair trade products, deli, and prepared foods since 1976.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative 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

Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF), Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH), Farmer Cooperatives & Co-op Retail (AFABAJAB)

Keywords

• Cooperative grocery retail
• Local organic food
• Fair trade products
• Community-owned market
• Prepared foods deli

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling groceries, prepared foods, and household items at both physical store locations. The co-op focuses on locally-sourced, sustainable, and fair trade products.
2. Owner-Member Equity Payments: Owner-members pay equity contributions to join the cooperative. The equity can be paid in installments ($3.50 increments over 2 years for SNAP participants under the Bloomingfoods For All program). Members may be eligible for patronage rebates in profitable years.
3. Special Orders and Pre-Orders: Revenue from special product orders including holiday pre-orders (Thanksgiving, Graduation) and custom orders placed by customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Bloomingfoods Co-op Market is a community-owned cooperative grocery retailer operating two physical stores (East Store and Near West Store) in Bloomington, Indiana. The co-op sells locally-sourced, organic, sustainable, and fair trade groceries alongside house-made prepared foods, deli items, and household staples. It also operates an online ordering and curbside pickup service (Bfoods2u), offers owner-membership equity programs, SNAP discount programs, holiday pre-orders, and community giving initiatives.

Product overview

Bloomingfoods Co-op Market is a community-owned cooperative grocery store that operates as a single unified retail platform offering traditional grocery shopping with multiple value-add services. The core offering is the retail grocery store featuring locally-sourced, fair trade, organic, and conventional products. This core is enhanced by several integrated programs including Bfoods2U curbside pickup, house-made deli prepared foods, SNAP Double Dollars and Bloomingfoods for All discount programs, Positive Change community giving, Nutrition Made Easy education classes, Holiday Pre-Order services, and Co+op Basics value pricing. The cooperative also maintains Gallery B art gallery and offers Wellness Wednesday promotions. Owner-members participate through a membership program with voting rights and potential patronage rebates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bfoods2U: Online ordering and curbside pickup service for the East and Near West stores.

Products and services

• Bloomingfoods Co-op Market (East Store) Full-service community-owned grocery store at 3220 East 3rd Street in Bloomington, Indiana, featuring prepared foods, deli, hot bar, salad bar, garden center, and a wide selection of locally-sourced and fair trade groceries. Open to the general public.
• Bloomingfoods Near West Store Second community-owned grocery store location at 316 West Sixth Street in Bloomington, Indiana, featuring prepared foods, deli services, and Gallery B art gallery space for local artists.
• Bfoods2U Online Ordering & Curbside Pickup Online ordering platform providing curbside grocery pickup service available Monday through Saturday at both Bloomingfoods store locations. Customers place orders online and pick up at the designated store.
• House-Made Deli & Prepared Foods Daily house-made breakfast, lunch, and dinner service offered at both Bloomingfoods store locations, featuring seasonal menus and prepared-to-order deli items including sandwiches, hot bar, and salad bar offerings.
• Owner-Member Membership Program Membership program allowing Monroe County residents and others to become owner-members of the cooperative by purchasing ownership equity. Members receive voting rights, exclusive discounts, and potential patronage rebates during profitable years. Over 8,500 owner-members as of 2024.
• Holiday Pre-Order Program Seasonal pre-order service for special occasion meals including Thanksgiving, graduation, and winter holidays, offering turkeys, hams, house-made sides, pies, and other catered items for customers to order in advance.
• Fair Trade Product Line Curated selection of fair trade certified products including Conscious Step socks, Quilling Cards, Lucia's Imports ceramics, Just Haiti coffee, Canaan Palestine olive oils, Zotter Chocolates, Serrv International goods, and Ganesh Himal Trading Nepalese crafts.
• Gallery B Art Gallery In-store gallery space at the Near West location showcasing local and regional artists through quarterly exhibitions and monthly First Friday gallery walks, providing cultural programming for the community.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1,510,000 paid to local farmers, vendors, and producers in one year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Revolution Bike & BeancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner offering Bloomingfoods owner-members a 15% discount on all in-stock merchandise. The bike shop also provides pop-up bike repair services during Bloomingfoods events. Located at 401 E 10th St in Bloomington.
• Sycamore Land TrustcoreOthersPositive Change program recipient. Donated $6,299.50 through the Positive Change round-up program. The organization preserves natural areas and connects people to nature in southern Indiana, protecting over 11,400 acres.
• Hoosier Hills Food BankcoreOthersBloomingfoods sells tickets for the Hoosier Hills Food Bank's annual Soup Bowl event, which benefits the food bank. The 29th Annual Soup Bowl was held at the Monroe Convention Center.
• Conscious StepminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade sock vendor available at East Store. Member of World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), certified by OEKO-TEX, Global Organic Textile Standards, and Fairtrade International. Donates $1 per pair to non-profit partners.
• Quilling CardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade card vendor available at East Store. Ensures fair wages and safe working conditions for artisans in Vietnam.
• Lucia's ImportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade artisanal goods vendor from Guatemala available at East Store. Specializes in handmade textiles, jewelry, and home decor items.
• Just HaitiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner501c3 non-profit bringing fair trade coffee from Haitian farmers. Uses Fair Trade Plus model paying farmers approximately 64% of retail price. Coffee is freshly roasted weekly.
• Canaan PalestineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade olive oil vendor supporting over 1,000 marginalized artisan family farms across 43 villages in the West Bank.
• Zotter ChocolatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade chocolate vendor known for hand-scooped chocolates. Sources cacao from Latin America, Africa, and other regions.
• Serrv InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade organization working with 24 countries in the global south, empowering over 8,000 artisans and farmers annually. Founded member of WFTO and Fair Trade Federation.
• Ganesh Himal TradingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade vendor from Spokane, Washington working with marginalized women and Tibetan refugees in Nepal since 1984. Member of Fair-Trade Federation.
• Monroe County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Nutrition Made Easy cooking classes held at library locations. Classes teach meal planning, cooking skills, and nutrition education.
• Needmore Coffee RoastersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFair trade certified coffee roaster that supplies Revolution Bike & Bean. Roasted with electrically heated air rather than gas-fired drum roasters.
• City of Bloomington Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBloomingfoods became a new member in 2024, seeking collaboration opportunities with other local businesses.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wheatsfield Cooperative: Member-owned natural foods cooperative grocery in Ames, Iowa serving a college town. Directly comparable to Bloomingfoods in cooperative model, natural/organic focus, local sourcing emphasis, and community ownership structure.
• New Pioneer Food Co-op: Community-owned natural foods co-op in Iowa City, Iowa with multiple locations. Directly comparable as a member-owned cooperative grocery emphasizing local, organic, and sustainable products in a Midwestern college town.
• Seward Community Co-op: Community-owned natural foods cooperative in Minneapolis with two store locations. Directly comparable to Bloomingfoods in cooperative governance, natural/organic focus, prepared foods, and community programs.
• Wedge Community Co-op: Member-owned natural foods cooperative in Minneapolis with a single large store and strong community programs. Directly comparable in member ownership model, local sourcing commitments, and natural food retail.
• Ozark Natural Foods: Community-owned cooperative grocery in Northwest Arkansas. Directly comparable to Bloomingfoods as a regional natural food co-op with local sourcing and community programs.
• People's Food Co-op: Member-owned cooperative grocery operating multiple locations in Michigan. Comparable as a natural food co-op with prepared foods, local vendor partnerships, and community ownership.

Broad incumbents

• PCC Community Markets: Largest community-owned natural foods cooperative in the US, operating 15+ stores in the Seattle area. Comparable in co-op ownership model and natural/organic focus but materially larger scale than Bloomingfoods.
• Natural Grocers: Public natural and organic grocery retailer with 150+ stores across the US. Comparable in product assortment focus on natural/organic, but operates a for-profit corporate model rather than cooperative ownership.
• Whole Foods Market: Largest natural and organic grocery chain in the US, now owned by Amazon. Overlaps with Bloomingfoods in organic, local, and fair trade product categories but operates nationally with vastly greater scale.

Regional players

• Bloomingfoods Member-Owner Direct Peers (Local Bloomington Independent Grocers): Independent grocery operators in the Bloomington, Indiana market (e.g., Sahara Mart, Limestone Grille & Market). Comparable in serving the same local shopper base but typically focused on conventional grocery rather than natural/organic cooperative positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Bloomingfoods-Co-op-Market-106877862037046
• Instagraminstagram.com/bloomingfoods
• Xx.com/bloomingfoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bloomingfoods-market-and-deli

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Bloomingfoods