Blue Hill Co-op
Blue Hill Co-op is a community-owned cooperative grocery store founded in 1974 in Blue Hill, Maine, serving local residents and 2,000+ owner households with organic, locally sourced foods, a café, and online ordering via WebCart.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersBlue Hill, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Blue Hill Co-op does
Blue Hill Co-op is a consumer-owned cooperative grocery store founded in 1974 and headquartered in Blue Hill, Maine. It operates a single physical retail store at 70 South Street offering organic, natural, and locally sourced groceries, produce, bulk items, prepared foods, and specialty dietary products (vegan, gluten-free). The co-op is open to the general public without a membership requirement, while inviting community members to purchase $200 in equity (payable as $20 annually over 10 years) to become voting owners. It serves a 2,000+ owner household base plus walk-in shoppers from Blue Hill and surrounding Hancock County, including Bar Harbor and Ellsworth.
The company's product surface combines a core grocery store with a Co-op Café (breakfast and lunch counter service Monday-Friday 8am-2pm), a WebCart online ordering platform with in-store pickup, contactless curbside pickup, and home delivery within the 04614 zip code, and a Special Orders program offering 15% off case sizes and 20% off vitamins in quantities of 3 or more for owners. The assortment is anchored by a network of 100+ local Maine and New England vendors across farms, bakeries, breweries, cheesemakers, and seafood producers. Food access programs — including SNAP/EBT acceptance, Farm Fresh Rewards (50% off local produce for SNAP/EBT shoppers), and the SHARE program (10% discount for owners enrolled in qualifying assistance programs) — are positioned as a core differentiator in a food-insecure county.
Blue Hill Co-op firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Hill Co-op
- Legal name
- Blue Hill Co-op
- Website
- https://bluehill.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Blue Hill Co-op is a community-owned cooperative grocery store founded in 1974 in Blue Hill, Maine, serving local residents and 2,000+ owner households with organic, locally sourced foods, a café, and online ordering via WebCart.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue Hill Co-op industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Grocery Retail
- NAICS
- Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB), Organic Produce & Farm Market Retail (CRAHAEAD), Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH)
Keywords
Where Blue Hill Co-op is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Blue Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blue Hill Co-op business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Grocery Sales: Core revenue from selling groceries, produce, health foods, and household items through the physical retail store and WebCart online platform. Sales include national brands and locally sourced products from Maine vendors.
- Café Food Service: Breakfast and lunch counter service at the Co-op Café, Monday-Friday 8am-2pm. Offers breakfast sandwiches, coffee, smoothies, and prepared foods. Additional revenue stream from prepared foods that are highly praised by customers.
- Co-op Ownership Equity: Revenue from owner equity purchases. Owners invest $200 total ($20 annually for 10 years) to become vested co-op members. This contributes to the co-op's financial stability and equity base.
- Special Orders (Case Discounts): Special order program for Co-op Owners offering 15% discount on case sizes of grocery items and 20% off vitamins ordered in quantities of 3 or more. Generates volume sales while rewarding owner loyalty.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Co-op Ownership Equity - $200 total investment |
| Subscription | Annual | SHARE Program Discount - 10% off for qualifying owners |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Special Order Discounts - 15-20% off case sizes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Blue Hill Co-op product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Hill Co-op operates a community-owned grocery store in Blue Hill, Maine, selling organic, natural, and locally sourced foods including produce, bulk items, prepared foods, and specialty products for various dietary needs such as vegan and gluten-free. The co-op also operates a breakfast and lunch café and provides online ordering through the WebCart platform with in-store pickup, contactless curbside pickup, and home delivery within the 04614 zip code.
Product overview
Blue Hill Co-op operates as a community-owned grocery store with a unified offering centered on its physical retail store combined with an online WebCart platform. The core product is the grocery store itself, featuring organic, natural, and locally sourced foods. Supporting services include the Co-op Café (breakfast and lunch counter), WebCart online shopping with pickup and delivery options, Special Orders for bulk purchasing by owners, Food Access Programs (SNAP/EBT, SHARE, Farm Fresh Rewards), Co-op Ownership membership, Quarterly Sales Events, and an extensive Local Vendor Network connecting hundreds of regional farms and producers. The product portfolio functions as an integrated grocery ecosystem combining physical retail, e-commerce, and community membership programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Grocery Store A community-owned grocery store offering a wide range of organic, natural, and locally sourced foods including produce, bulk items, prepared foods, and specialty products for various dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, etc.) for local community members and visitors.
- Co-op Café Breakfast and lunch counter service offering sandwiches, salads, smoothies, and baked goods, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring locally sourced ingredients for walk-in customers.
- WebCart Online Ordering Online shopping platform enabling customers to browse products, place orders, and pick up in-store or via contactless curbside pickup. Also offers home delivery within the 04614 zip code for a $10 fee (free over $150).
- Special Orders Special order program exclusively for Co-op Owners offering 15% discount on case sizes of grocery items and 20% off vitamins ordered in quantities of 3 or more, enabling bulk purchasing of frequently used items.
- Food Access Programs Community programs including SNAP/EBT acceptance, Farm Fresh Rewards (50% point-of-purchase discount on local produce for SNAP/EBT shoppers), SHARE program (10% discount for owners enrolled in qualifying assistance programs), and partnerships with local food pantries to address food insecurity.
- Co-op Ownership Member ownership program requiring a $200 equity investment, offering benefits including voting rights, special order discounts, quarterly sale events, owner bonus buys, and working-owner discount opportunities for community members who invest in the co-op.
- Co-op Deals Rotating sales program with 1,000+ items on sale every two weeks, including manager sales, flash sales, and tear-off coupons for all customers.
- Quarterly Sales Events Seasonal sales events centered around solstices and equinoxes, offering Co-op owners 10% off one transaction of their choice during each sale week.
- Local Vendor Network Partnership with hundreds of local Maine and New England vendors across categories including farms, bakeries, breweries, cider houses, distilleries, cheesemakers, seafood producers, and artisan food producers, providing shelf space and distribution for local products.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1 in 6 children in Hancock County live in food insecure households - co-op food access programs directly address this crisis
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Blue Hill Co-op
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Blue Hill Co-op technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blue Hill Co-op partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Co-operative Grocers Association (NCGA)coreBlue Hill Co-op is a member of the National Co-operative Grocers Association, a network of consumer-owned food co-ops that shares resources, best practices, and collective purchasing power to strengthen the cooperative grocery sector across the United States.
- National Co-operative Grocers (NCG)coreMembership in NCG provides access to cooperative resources, educational materials, and collaborative initiatives supporting the co-op business model and community ownership principles.
- Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership / Save Organic Family FarmscoreBlue Hill Co-op is a proud retail partner of the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, an initiative to create long-term stability for organic family farms in the region. The partnership supports local organic farmers and provides customers with access to locally sourced organic products.
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)coreBlue Hill Co-op supports MOFGA, Maine's leading organic farming organization. MOFGA provides certification, education, and advocacy for organic farmers, aligning with the co-op's commitment to organic and locally sourced products.
- Wabanaki AlliancecoreBlue Hill Co-op is a member of the Wabanaki Alliance, a coalition supporting Indigenous communities in Maine. The co-op acknowledges it operates on traditional Penobscot land and honors Indigenous stewardship of the land.
- Cooperative MaineminorMembership in Cooperative Maine, a state-level organization supporting cooperative businesses and community ownership models in Maine.
- Local Food Pantries and Community OrganizationscoreBlue Hill Co-op partners with local food pantries including Loaves & Fishes (Ellsworth), Wabanaki Public Health, Hancock County Food Drive, Tree of Life Pantry, Emmaus Homeless Shelter, and Downeast Community Partners. Donates food and hosts food drives to address local food insecurity.
- 100+ Local Maine and New England VendorscoreBlue Hill Co-op partners with over 100 local vendors across Maine and New England including farms, bakeries, breweries, cider houses, distilleries, cheesemakers, seafood producers, and artisan food producers. Vendors include Four Season Farm, Tinder Hearth Bakery, Allagash Brewing, Atlantic Sea Farms, and many others, providing shelf space and distribution for local products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Blue Hill Co-op competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PCC Community Markets: Large consumer-owned natural foods co-op in the Seattle area operating multiple retail stores with cafés, strong local sourcing, and tiered owner benefits. Closest direct analog in scale, governance model, and assortment strategy to Blue Hill Co-op.
- Brattleboro Food Co-op: Consumer-owned food co-op in southern Vermont with a curated natural and local assortment. Comparable community-owned grocery model with emphasis on local sourcing and owner governance.
- Hanover Co-op Food Stores: Consumer-owned co-op operating grocery stores across the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire and Vermont. Highly comparable as a New England community co-op grocer with cafés, local vendor emphasis, and ownership-based benefits.
- GreenStar Cooperative Market: Consumer-owned natural foods co-op in Ithaca, New York operating multiple locations with strong local producer relationships and food access programs. Comparable co-op model in a small college-town/rural setting.
- City Market (Burlington, VT): Community-owned natural foods co-op serving the Burlington, Vermont area. Comparable as a smaller-footprint New England co-op grocer with strong local producer relationships and food access programming.
- Wheatsville Food Coop: Long-standing consumer-owned natural foods co-op in Austin, Texas with a deli/café, local sourcing, and tiered owner discounts. Comparable cooperative structure and hybrid café/grocery format.
- Good Food Store: Community-owned natural foods grocery in Missoula, Montana with café service, deli, and emphasis on local producers. Comparable single/multi-store natural foods co-op operating in a smaller market.
Emerging players
- Thrive Market: Online membership-based natural and organic grocery retailer. Comparable focus on organic, natural, and specialty-diet products but operates purely online with national delivery versus Blue Hill's hyperlocal footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Natural Grocers: National chain of natural and organic grocery stores emphasizing organic produce, supplements, and dietary-specialty items. Comparable assortment focus but operates as a for-profit chain rather than a co-op.
- Hannaford: New England-based supermarket chain competing for the same grocery basket in Blue Hill's broader market. Comparable grocery retail format though conventional rather than natural/organic focused.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blue Hill Co-op social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Hill Co-op financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Hill Co-op leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Blue Hill Co-op funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Hill Co-op M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Hill Co-op
What does Blue Hill Co-op do?
Blue Hill Co-op operates a community-owned grocery store in Blue Hill, Maine, selling organic, natural, and locally sourced foods including produce, bulk items, prepared foods, and specialty products for various dietary needs such as vegan and gluten-free. The co-op also operates a breakfast and lunch café and provides online ordering through the WebCart platform with in-store pickup, contactless curbside pickup, and home delivery within the 04614 zip code.
Is Blue Hill Co-op a public or private company?
Blue Hill Co-op is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Blue Hill Co-op founded?
Blue Hill Co-op was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blue Hill Co-op based?
Blue Hill Co-op is headquartered in Blue Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Hill Co-op make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Grocery Sales are the primary driver. The others are café Food Service, co-op Ownership Equity and special Orders (Case Discounts).
Who are Blue Hill Co-op's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PCC Community Markets, Brattleboro Food Co-op, Hanover Co-op Food Stores, GreenStar Cooperative Market, City Market (Burlington, VT), Wheatsville Food Coop and Good Food Store. Thrive Market is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Natural Grocers and Hannaford.
Does Blue Hill Co-op have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Hill Co-op.
What industry is Blue Hill Co-op in?
Blue Hill Co-op's product category is Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAEAJ, Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers, with a secondary code of CRAHALAB, Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores. Its NAICS code is 4451 and its SIC code is 5400.