Rising Tide Co-op
Rising Tide Co-op is a cooperatively-owned natural and organic grocery store in Damariscotta, Maine, serving midcoast Maine since 1978 with 5,000+ member-owners, a single retail storefront, and approximately 300 local Maine farmers and producers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersDamariscotta, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Rising Tide Co-op does
Rising Tide Co-op (legal entity Rising Tide, Inc.) is a cooperatively-owned natural and organic grocery store headquartered at 323 Main Street, Damariscotta, Maine. Founded as a food buying club in the early 1970s and reorganized as a cooperative nonprofit corporation in Maine in 1978, the company operates a single retail storefront serving the midcoast Maine communities of Damariscotta, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, and surrounding areas, including seasonal traffic from Boothbay Harbor. The store is open to the general public without membership requirement and carries approximately 300 Maine farmers, producers, and vendors — including 55 vendors from Lincoln County alone — across nine retail departments: Grocery, Produce, Meat, Dairy and Refrigeration, Prepared Foods (kitchen, deli, and in-house bakery), Bulk, Specialty Foods (cheese, beer, wine, ciders), Wellness and Gifts, and Frozen. The co-op has 5,000+ member-owners, governed democratically through an elected Board of Directors under the seven cooperative principles.
The business operates on two revenue mechanics. The primary stream is retail grocery sales across natural, organic, and locally sourced product categories. The secondary stream is member-owner equity, paid as $10 per year until full $250 equity is reached, conferring voting rights, board eligibility, and member benefits. Pricing is supplemented by several community-access programs: Co+op Basics (reduced-price staples via National Co-op Grocers buying power), Farm Fresh Rewards (50% SNAP/EBT produce discount administered by Good Shepherd Food Bank and Maine Farmland Trust), the SHARE Program (10% storewide discount for income-qualified shoppers), and Co-op for Community (0.5% of Wednesday sales donated monthly to member-nominated organizations). Strategic supply relationships include Equal Exchange and Frontier Co-op for bulk goods and the Maine Cheese Guild for specialty cheese.
The co-op owns its real estate after raising more than $400,000 in a 2008 Member-Owner Loan Drive to purchase the former Strong Chevrolet building, which opened after renovation in July 2009. There is no proprietary technology platform; the business is a physical retail operation. Marketing relies on the Rising Times email newsletter, community talks, Savvy Shopper Tours, vendor showcases, and word-of-mouth through the local food system network rather than paid acquisition. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.
Rising Tide Co-op firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rising Tide Co-op
- Legal name
- Rising Tide, Inc.
- Website
- https://risingtide.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Rising Tide Co-op is a cooperatively-owned natural and organic grocery store in Damariscotta, Maine, serving midcoast Maine since 1978 with 5,000+ member-owners, a single retail storefront, and approximately 300 local Maine farmers and producers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rising Tide Co-op industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural and Organic Grocery Retail
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF)
Keywords
Where Rising Tide Co-op is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Damariscotta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rising Tide Co-op business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Grocery Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from retail sales of natural, organic, and local groceries including produce, dairy, meat, bakery, prepared foods, bulk items, grocery, frozen, wellness, and specialty items including beer, wine, and cheese.
- Member-Owner Equity: Annual membership investment of $10 paid until full equity of $250 is met. This provides member-owners voting rights, board representation, and member-owner benefits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Member-Owner Investment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Rising Tide Co-op product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rising Tide Co-op is a cooperatively-owned natural and organic grocery store serving Midcoast Maine from a single retail storefront in Damariscotta, Maine. The store sells natural, organic, and local groceries across departments including produce, grocery, frozen, meat, dairy, prepared foods, bakery, bulk, specialty foods, and wellness, sourced from approximately 300 Maine farmers, producers, and vendors. The co-op operates a member-owner equity model and runs community food access programs (Farm Fresh Rewards, SHARE, Co-op Basics).
Product overview
Rising Tide Co-op is a cooperatively-owned natural grocery store serving Midcoast Maine since 1978. The store operates as a single unified retail platform organized into multiple departments: Grocery (including Frozen), Produce, Meat, Dairy & Refrigeration, Prepared Foods (Kitchen, Deli & Bakery), Bulk, Specialty Foods (cheese, beer, wine, ciders), and Wellness & Gifts. The co-op supports approximately 300 local farmers and producers. Beyond retail operations, Rising Tide offers community programs including Farm Fresh Rewards (SNAP/EBT produce incentives), SHARE Program (10% discount for qualifying members), Co-op Basics (value pricing), and a monthly community donation initiative. The co-op has over 5,000 member-owners and is governed democratically with elected Board of Directors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Natural & Organic Grocery Retail Physical retail grocery store offering natural, organic, and local foods across multiple departments: produce, grocery, frozen, meat, dairy and refrigeration, prepared foods (kitchen, deli, and bakery), bulk, specialty foods (cheese, beer, wine, ciders), and wellness and gifts. Open to the general public 7 days a week. Sourced from approximately 300 Maine farmers, producers, and vendors.
- Farm Fresh Rewards Nutrition incentive program where SNAP/EBT shoppers receive a 50% point-of-purchase discount on eligible local fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seedlings. Now managed by Good Shepherd Food Bank in partnership with Maine Farmland Trust.
- SHARE Program Supporting Households and Reaching Everyone — provides a 10% discount on all eligible purchases for qualifying members (SNAP, WIC, Pell Grants, Maine Head Start, LIHEAP, MaineCare, TANF), offering access to local, high-quality, natural, and sustainable foods.
- Co-op Basics Staple foods and household goods including natural and organic products priced below suggested retail. Enables food co-ops across the country to join together for cooperative buying power and pass savings to customers. Facilitated through National Co-op Grocers.
- Co-op for Community (5% Wednesdays) Monthly donation of 0.5% of Wednesday sales to member-owner nominated organizations, which are invited to present at the store to educate the community about their efforts.
- Member-Owner Membership Cooperative membership requiring a $10 annual investment until full equity of $250 is met. Members can elect the Board of Directors, review financial reports, run for the Board, vote on bylaws changes, and attend Board meetings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $400,000 raised through Member-Owner Loan Drive in 2008 to purchase the current building
Companies that use Rising Tide Co-op
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rising Tide Co-op technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rising Tide Co-op partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Equal ExchangecoreEqual Exchange is highlighted as one of two major cooperative partnerships in the Bulk Department. The relationship supports fair trade and cooperative values in bulk purchasing.
- Frontier Co-opcoreFrontier Co-op is highlighted as one of two major cooperative partnerships in the Bulk Department. The relationship supports cooperative buying power for bulk products.
- Maine Cheese GuildcoreRising Tide is a member of the Maine Cheese Guild and is committed to supporting Maine producers, many of them award winners, in their Specialty Foods Department.
- Good Shepherd Food BankcoreFarm Fresh Rewards is now managed by the Good Shepherd Food Bank. SNAP/EBT shoppers receive 50% point-of-purchase discount on eligible fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seedlings.
- Maine Farmland TrustcoreMaine Farmland Trust manages Farm Fresh Rewards, nutrition incentives that increase the value of federal nutrition assistance dollars spent at participating stores.
- Maine Federation of Farmers' MarketsminorMaine Federation of Farmers' Markets manages Maine Harvest Bucks, which complements Farm Fresh Rewards at farmers' markets, CSAs, and farm stands around the state.
- Healthy Lincoln CountycoreLeifa Gordon works at Healthy Lincoln County focusing on supporting people in increasing access to healthy, local food. She serves on the Rising Tide Board.
- National Co-op Grocers (NCG)coreRising Tide participates in Food Co-op Impact Reports coordinated through National Co-op Grocers. The cooperative buying program (Co+op Basics) is facilitated through this network.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rising Tide Co-op competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Hannaford: Maine-headquartered conventional supermarket chain owned by Ahold Delhaize. A leading competitor within midcoast Maine for general grocery trips and a key threat on price and convenience.
Direct peers
- Portland Food Co-op: Maine-based member-owned natural food co-op operating retail stores in the Portland area. Closest geographic and operating-model peer to Rising Tide Co-op within the same state.
- City Market / Onion River Co-op: Burlington, Vermont-based consumer-owned natural foods co-op. Comparable in cooperative governance, multi-department natural grocery format, and emphasis on local and organic sourcing.
- Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op: Community-owned natural grocery co-op in Middlebury, Vermont offering produce, meat, dairy, bulk, and prepared foods — operating model and rural/small-town positioning are closely analogous to Rising Tide.
- Hunger Mountain Co-op: Member-owned natural foods co-op in Montpelier, Vermont with a similar full-service grocery plus prepared foods and wellness assortment, anchored in a small/medium-sized New England community.
- Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society: Large New England member-owned co-op (Co-op Food Stores) operating multiple locations in the Upper Valley region. Comparable cooperative model at slightly greater scale and multi-store footprint.
- Brattleboro Food Co-op: Member-owned natural foods co-op in Brattleboro, Vermont with a similar multi-department format (produce, meat, dairy, bulk, wellness, prepared) and community-ownership model.
- Belfast Community Co-op: Community-owned natural foods co-op in Belfast, Maine — also midcoast Maine — directly comparable to Rising Tide in store format, member ownership, and local-vendor focus.
Broad incumbents
- Whole Foods Market: Largest U.S. natural and organic grocery retailer (Amazon-owned). Overlaps with Rising Tide on product mix and shopper demographic, but offers vastly broader assortment, national supply chain, and digital channels.
- Natural Grocers: National natural and organic grocery chain. Competes for the same health-and-natural food shopper with broader assortment and buying power, but lacks Rising Tide's local cooperative and community-program positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rising Tide Co-op social profiles
Digital presenceRising Tide Co-op financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rising Tide Co-op leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Rising Tide Co-op funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rising Tide 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 Rising Tide Co-op
What does Rising Tide Co-op do?
Rising Tide Co-op is a cooperatively-owned natural and organic grocery store serving Midcoast Maine from a single retail storefront in Damariscotta, Maine. The store sells natural, organic, and local groceries across departments including produce, grocery, frozen, meat, dairy, prepared foods, bakery, bulk, specialty foods, and wellness, sourced from approximately 300 Maine farmers, producers, and vendors. The co-op operates a member-owner equity model and runs community food access programs (Farm Fresh Rewards, SHARE, Co-op Basics).
Is Rising Tide Co-op a public or private company?
Rising Tide Co-op is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Rising Tide Co-op founded?
Rising Tide Co-op was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Rising Tide Co-op based?
Rising Tide Co-op is headquartered in Damariscotta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rising Tide Co-op make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Retail Grocery Sales are the primary driver. The others are member-Owner Equity.
Who are Rising Tide Co-op's main competitors?
Hannaford is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Portland Food Co-op, City Market / Onion River Co-op, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, Hunger Mountain Co-op, Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society, Brattleboro Food Co-op and Belfast Community Co-op. Broad incumbents are Whole Foods Market and Natural Grocers.
Does Rising Tide Co-op have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rising Tide Co-op.
What industry is Rising Tide Co-op in?
Rising Tide Co-op's product category is Natural and Organic Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAEAJ, Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers, with a secondary code of CRAHALAF, Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli. Its SIC code is 5400.