Electric City Community Grocery

What Electric City Community Grocery does

Electric City Community Grocery (ECCG), operating as Electric City Food Cooperative, Inc., is a community-owned grocery cooperative incorporated in 2013 in Schenectady, New York. The organization's mission is to open and operate a full-service grocery store in downtown Schenectady, where no full-service grocery has operated since 2001, addressing a longstanding food desert. The co-op is democratically governed by its member-owners, who hold equity investments and voting rights; membership has grown from 55 initial member-owners in 2013 to over 1,320 by November 2025. The core offering is a planned physical grocery store at the Wedgeway Building (corner of State Street and Erie Boulevard) in the Mill Artisan District of Downtown Schenectady, with a signed lease and a planned opening in late 2026. The store will prioritize local sourcing from 70+ regional farmers and producers, many of whom currently connect with the community through the Schenectady Greenmarket, and will provide 7-day-per-week access to local food, extending the market's existing 4-hour weekly operation.

The cooperative generates pre-opening capital through multiple streams: tiered member equity investments (Tier 1 from $25 to $1,999; Tier 2 at $2,000-$9,999), corporate sponsorships (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers starting at $1,000), charitable donations (via 501c3 fiscal sponsorship through Cooperative Development Fund of CDS), and merchandise sales (tote bags, ball caps, t-shirts, buttons). The cooperative has secured more than $6.25 million in public investment from the City of Schenectady (including $1M in ARPA funding in December 2022), the County of Schenectady, the State of New York (Department of Agriculture and Markets), and the USDA (Healthy Food Financing Initiative Grant). These funds are structured as reimbursable grants for store development and build-out. The current capital campaign has a $1.35M goal (Phase 1 raised $184K in 2025; Phase 2 targets $1.17M through April 2026).

The go-to-market model is community-led, relying on member-owner networks, the monthly "Food for Thought" newsletter, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram), tabling at community events, local media coverage, and word-of-mouth referral. The cooperative is contracted with National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) for business services and purchasing power, granting access to a network of 158 food co-ops with ~230 stores and $2.5B in combined annual sales. ECCG has 1-10 employees and is currently a pre-operating entity; it has not yet generated retail grocery revenue, with the store opening scheduled for late 2026.

Name

Electric City Community Grocery

Legal name

Electric City Food Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://electriccityfood.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Electric City Community Grocery is a community-owned grocery cooperative incorporated in 2013 in Schenectady, NY, planning to open a full-service grocery store in late 2026 to address a downtown food desert. It is democratically governed by 1,320+ member-owners and will source from 70+ regional farmers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community-Owned Grocery Cooperative

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Stakeholder Grocery Cooperatives (CRAHALAD)

Keywords

• Community grocery store
• Food cooperative
• Local food retail
• Member-owned grocery
• Food desert solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Schenectady

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Member-Owner Equity Investments: Members invest one-time equity fees to join the cooperative. Tier 1 membership starts at $25 online, with higher tiers available ($2,000-$9,999 for Tier 2). The cooperative model means profits are reinvested or distributed as patronage refunds to member-owners rather than to external shareholders.
2. Retail Grocery Sales: Full-service grocery store revenue from selling food and goods to the public. Both member-owners and non-member-owners can shop at the co-op. Revenue supports the cooperative's mission and operations.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Local businesses and organizations sponsor the co-op at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) starting from $1,000. In exchange, corporate sponsors receive recognition and visibility within the community grocery store.
4. Charitable Donations: With 501c3 fiscal sponsorship through Cooperative Development Fund of CDS, the co-op accepts charitable donations to support store development and community food security mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Electric City Community Grocery is building a full-service, democratically governed community-owned grocery store opening in late 2026 in the Wedgeway Building at the corner of State Street and Erie Boulevard in Downtown Schenectady. Currently, the cooperative sells branded merchandise (ball caps, tote bags, t-shirts, buttons) online and offers Tier 1 and Tier 2 member-ownership equity investments plus tiered corporate sponsorships to fund the future store. Both member-owners and non-member-owners will be able to shop at the store once open.

Product overview

Electric City Community Grocery is a community-owned cooperative grocery store (not a software platform). The core offering is a full-service grocery store opening in late 2026 in Downtown Schenectady, governed democratically by member-owners. The company sells merchandise items (ball caps, tote bags, t-shirts, buttons) and offers tiered membership/ownership programs (Tier 1 starting at $25, Tier 2 starting at $2,066) as well as corporate sponsorship opportunities. The product portfolio consists of the grocery store as the primary offering, supplemented by merchandise and various membership investment tiers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric City Community Grocery Store Full-service, community-owned grocery store opening in late 2026 in Downtown Schenectady, democratically governed by member-owners and prioritizing local farmers, food producers, and sustainable sourcing.
• Ball Cap Custom-embroidered Otto caps made in the USA with classic fit, structured firm front panel, and premium snap closure, sold at $20.00 to support the cooperative.
• Co-op Tote Bag Heavy-duty 100% cotton large tote bags suitable for use at the Greenmarket and daily activities, sold at $15.00.
• Carbon Neutral Co-op Tee Carbon-neutral t-shirt made from recycled t-shirt scraps, 50% recycled cotton and 50% post-consumer recycled polyester, sold at $25.00.
• ECCG Button Small promotional buttons featuring the Electric City Community Grocery branding, sold at $1.50 each.
• Tier 1 Membership Entry-level member-ownership in the cooperative available online from $25 to $1,999, granting voting rights in cooperative governance.
• Tier 2 Membership Mid-level member-ownership equity investment available online from $2,066 to $10,328.97, supporting the cooperative's store financing and granting voting rights.
• Corporate Sponsorships Tiered corporate sponsorship packages (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) starting at $1,000 for businesses and organizations supporting the community grocery store in exchange for in-store recognition and visibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Community-owned grocery store will address downtown Schenectady food desert that has existed since 2001
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Cooperative Grocers (NCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted with NCG, a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops providing purchasing power. NCG represents 158 food co-ops operating nearly 230 stores in 39 states with combined annual sales of $2.5 billion. Contract funded through USDA Healthy Food Financing Initiative Grant.
• BBL ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner working with Schenectady County on building development for the grocery store location in the Wedgeway Building.
• Cass Hill DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate development partner in the grocery store project, working alongside Metroplex and local government partners to secure the Wedgeway Building location.
• Schenectady MetroplexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchenectady County Metroplex is the local economic development agency that has been instrumental in planning for the grocery store location in the Mill District and coordinating with county funding approvals.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wegmans Food Markets: Large regional grocery chain headquartered in Rochester, NY, with locations across the Northeast including the Capital Region. As a major incumbent grocer operating in the same geography, Wegmans represents the conventional supermarket alternative that ECCG positions against, though it operates at very different scale and ownership model.
• Price Chopper / Market 32: Regional supermarket chain headquartered in Schenectady, NY. Operates stores throughout the Capital Region and is one of the largest conventional grocers in ECCG's immediate market. Provides context for the competitive grocery landscape that ECCG will enter.

Regional players

• Honest Weight Food Co-op: Member-owned grocery cooperative in Albany, NY, approximately 15 miles from Schenectady. Operates in the same Capital Region, serving a similar demographic with local-sourcing emphasis. Comparable size and stage and provides a relevant regional benchmark for cooperative grocery operations in the same market.

Direct peers

• GreenStar Cooperative Market: Member-owned food cooperative in Ithaca, NY, with two store locations. Similar full-service grocery cooperative model with strong local sourcing focus. Comparable in scale and operational philosophy, providing a useful peer for unit economics and member engagement benchmarks.
• Park Slope Food Coop: One of the largest and most well-known member-owned food cooperatives in the U.S., operating in Brooklyn, NY. Shares ECCG's cooperative ownership model, member equity investment, and reliance on member labor/participation. Most directly comparable in terms of community-owned grocery model and New York State operations.
• Hunger Mountain Co-op: Community-owned grocery cooperative in Montpelier, VT. Similar full-service grocery co-op model with member equity and democratic governance. Smaller-scale peer sharing ECCG's mission of providing locally sourced food in an underserved community.
• Seward Co-op: Community-owned grocery cooperative in Minneapolis, MN, with two stores serving the Seward and Franklin neighborhoods. Operates an open-to-the-public, member-owned model with local sourcing emphasis. Highly comparable in mission and operating model to ECCG, with a longer operating track record.
• Weaver Street Market: Community-owned food cooperative with three locations in North Carolina (Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Hillsborough). Operates as a full-service grocery co-op with strong local sourcing similar to ECCG's value proposition. Comparable scale and member-ownership structure.

Others

• Cooperative Development Foundation: National nonprofit that provides fiscal sponsorship and cooperative development support; ECCG's 501c3 fiscal sponsorship is administrated through CDS Monkton/CDF. Highly relevant ecosystem partner that understands and supports the cooperative development model.
• National Cooperative Grocers: Business services cooperative representing 158 food co-ops with nearly 230 stores and combined annual sales of $2.5B. ECCG has contracted with NCG for purchasing and back-office services. Relevant as both a strategic partner and an aggregator peer for understanding cooperative grocery economics at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/electriccityfood
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdXg5c1TqZ1v3bFV5X8l1hQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElectricCityFood
• Instagraminstagram.com/electriccityfoodcoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/electric-city-coop

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 Electric City Community Grocery