Co-op Market Grocery & Deli

What Co-op Market Grocery & Deli does

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli is a community-owned natural foods cooperative grocery store operating from a single retail location at 526 Gaffney Rd in Fairbanks, Alaska. Founded in March 2013 after a decade of community planning and fundraising, it holds the distinction of being the first retail food co-op in Alaska. The store serves the Fairbanks community and broader Interior Alaska region through six merchandising departments — Bulk Foods, Deli, Grocery, Meat & Seafood, Produce, and Wellness — with a focus on organic, natural, and locally sourced products including Alaska Grown items.

The business operates as a member-owned cooperative with more than 4,800 invested Owners who pay a one-time $200 equity investment (or $25 initial payment with a payment plan) to gain voting rights, board candidacy eligibility, and exclusive discounts. The store is open to all shoppers regardless of ownership status. Supporting programs include Co+op Basics (reduced pricing on 200+ staple items), a twice-monthly Co+op Deals sales flyer, and the Lend a Hand round-up donation program, which has channeled $245,855.68 in customer contributions to local nonprofits since inception. The underlying technology stack is standard off-the-shelf retail: a point-of-sale system, Square Site for online ownership signup, Zoom for board meetings, and SurveyMonkey for elections and nonprofit recipient voting.

Revenue is generated primarily through retail grocery transactions, supplemented by one-time membership equity investments and volume-driven Co+op Deals sales. The cooperative is a member of National Co+op Grocers (NCG), a nationwide purchasing cooperative that provides bulk buying power. Governance is provided by an elected seven-member Board of Directors (President Allison Blechman, Treasurer Brian Kassof, Secretary Kelsea Boylan, and Directors Patrice Lee, Erica McCall Valentine, and PJ Ford) with day-to-day operations led by General Manager Christopher Hutchquist. The co-op pursues no external institutional capital, operates a single physical storefront, and has not pursued geographic expansion.

Name

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli

Legal name

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli

Website

https://coopmarket.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli is a community-owned natural foods cooperative grocery store in Fairbanks, Alaska, serving the Interior Alaska region through a single six-department retail storefront with 4,800+ invested member-owners and pricing programs for staples and specials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Foods Grocery Retail

NAICS

Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511), Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Co-ops with In-Store Prepared Foods & Deli (CRAHALAF), Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG)

Keywords

• Natural foods grocery
• Cooperative grocery store
• Community-owned grocery
• Local food retail
• Organic produce sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairbanks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Grocery Sales: Co-op Market generates revenue through retail sales of natural foods, bulk foods, deli items, meat & seafood, produce, grocery, and wellness products. The store operates as a full-service natural foods cooperative open to all shoppers, with member-owners receiving exclusive discounts and deals.
2. Membership/Ownership Investment: One-time ownership investment of $200 per household, or payment plan starting with $25 initial payment. Investment is non-refundable (though equity is generally refundable upon membership closure, subject to financial risk). This provides capital to sustain the cooperative.
3. Co+op Deals Sales Program: Twice-monthly sales flyer (Co+op Deals) featuring discounted prices on national and regional organic/natural brands. Additional Co+op Basics program offers reduced prices on 200+ staple items. These programs drive volume sales through perceived value.
4. Lend a Hand Round-up Donations: Customers round up shopping bills to nearest dollar; 100% of donations go to local nonprofits. Total donated across all years: $245,855.68. This is charitable in nature but strengthens community relationships and customer loyalty.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli operates a full-service natural foods cooperative grocery store at 526 Gaffney Rd in Fairbanks, Alaska. The store sells groceries across departments including Bulk Foods, Deli, Grocery, Meat & Seafood, Produce, and Wellness, with a focus on organic, local, and Alaska Grown products. As a member-owned cooperative, customers can purchase ownership ($200 one-time or $25 initial payment plan) to receive voting rights, exclusive discounts, and participation in democratic governance.

Product overview

Co-op Market Grocery & Deli operates as a full-service natural foods cooperative grocery store with multiple product offerings. The core offering is the retail grocery store featuring departments including Bulk Foods, Deli, Grocery, Meat & Seafood, Produce, and Wellness. Supporting programs include Co+op Basics (affordable staple items), Co+op Deals Sales Flyer (twice-monthly specials), the Lend a Hand Round-Up Program (community giving), and Member Ownership (cooperative membership). Additional services include Special Orders for custom items and a Vendor Program for local producers. The co-op is part of National Co+op Grocers (NCG), a nationwide cooperative enabling bulk purchasing power.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Co-op Market: Shortened name for Co-op Market Grocery & Deli used on the website and in communications.

Products and services

• Co-op Market Grocery & Deli Full-service natural foods cooperative grocery store serving the Fairbanks community and Interior Alaska. Features departments including Bulk Foods, Deli, Grocery, Meat & Seafood, Produce, and Wellness with locally sourced and organic products.
• Co+op Basics Affordable staple items program offering reduced prices on more than 200 everyday grocery items, marked with purple Co+op Basics logo and purple price tags throughout the store.
• Co+op Deals Sales Flyer Twice-monthly sales publication featuring deals on organic and natural products from national and regional brands, marked with green Co+op Deals logo and green price tags.
• Lend a Hand Round-Up Program Monthly community giving program where customers round up their shopping bill to the nearest dollar to support local nonprofit organizations, with 100% of donations going to charity.
• Member Ownership Cooperative membership program allowing individuals to become invested Owners for $200 one-time or $25 initial payment with payment plan. Owners receive voting rights, board candidacy eligibility, special sale prices, Owner Appreciation Days (4x/year with 10% off), bulk sale discounts (2x/year at 10% off), and entry into giveaways with doubled chances.

Quantifiable outcome

• Total donated to community: $245,855.68 through Lend a Hand program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Co+op Grocers (NCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-op Market is part of National Co+op Grocers, a nationwide cooperative of retail grocery co-ops. NCG enables the co-op to purchase quality goods at decreased rates through combined purchasing power across co-ops nationally. This allows competition with big-box grocers while maintaining product quality and cooperative values.
• Alaska Lizzie (Lizzie Hartman)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerInstagram marketing collaboration with Lizzie Hartman, a Fairbanks-based content creator and MasterChef participant (United Tastes of America, Season 13). Partnership promotes the co-op through social media content showcasing local food and community connections.
• Chena Tool LibraryminorOthersJanuary 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Community organization providing tool access to over 300 members with 600+ tools.
• Fairbanks HopeLinkminorOthersFebruary 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Emergency warming center providing shelter and support for individuals in need during cold weather months.
• Calypso Farm & Ecology CenterminorOthersMarch 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit fostering local food production and environmental awareness through hands-on education.
• Green Star of Interior AlaskaminorOthersApril 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit promoting recycling and sustainability, operating FNSB Central Recycling Facility since 2022.
• Alaska Songbird InstituteminorOthersMay 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit conserving Alaska's boreal birds through research and education.
• Fairbanks Children's MuseumminorOthersJune 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Interactive early education space serving families in the Interior through play-based learning.
• Friends of Creamer's FieldminorOthersJuly 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit fostering environmental stewardship at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.
• Fairbanks Community Food BankminorOthersAugust 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit collecting and distributing surplus food, providing over 800,000 meals in 2023.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of AlaskaminorOthersSeptember 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Youth mentoring organization serving 300+ children annually across Alaska.
• Fairbanks Animal Shelter FundminorOthersOctober 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit providing veterinary services for Fairbanks North Star Borough Animal Shelter.
• Bread Line, Inc. - Stone Soup CaféminorOthersNovember 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Anti-hunger nonprofit running soup kitchen and culinary job training programs.
• Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent LivingminorOthersDecember 2025 Lend a Hand recipient. Nonprofit providing shelter, advocacy, and education for survivors of domestic violence and assault.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Whole Foods Market: National broad-line natural and organic grocery chain owned by Amazon. Competes in the same natural/organic shopper segment but at much greater scale and with broader product assortment; absent in Fairbanks but a threat in any expansion market.
• Sprouts Farmers Market: Large specialty natural foods grocer with strong bulk, produce, and wellness departments. Competes for similar health-conscious shoppers, although not currently present in Interior Alaska.

Direct peers

• New Seasons Market: Worker- and community-oriented natural foods grocery chain in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable product mix (bulk, deli, produce, wellness) and similar local vendor emphasis serve as a close operational template.
• Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage: Public specialty natural and organic grocery retailer with a strong focus on bulk foods, wellness, produce, and local sourcing. While not a cooperative, it competes directly for the same health-conscious shopper in similar markets.
• Wheatsville Food Co-op: Member-owned food cooperative in Austin, Texas, operating under a nearly identical community-owned grocery model with similar producer partnerships, member discounts, and democratic governance. Closely comparable in size and operational posture.
• PCC Community Markets: Member-owned natural foods cooperative grocery chain in the Seattle area with a similar cooperative ownership model, focus on local/organic, bulk foods, deli, and member discounts. Although much larger, the operating model and member programming are closely aligned.
• National Co+op Grocers (NCG): National cooperative of retail grocery co-ops that Co-op Market is a member of. Provides collective purchasing, private-label programs (Co+op Basics, Co+op Deals), and shared services that directly enable Co-op Market's economics and competitiveness.
• Seward Co-op: Member-owned cooperative grocery in Minneapolis with a comparable full-service natural foods store format, local sourcing focus, and member ownership structure. Operates as a direct cooperative peer in the same NCG-aligned ecosystem.

Regional players

• Fred Meyer (Kroger): Direct competitor in the Fairbanks market, operating a full-service grocery format with lower promotional price points. Represents the primary conventional-grocery competitive threat in the co-op's home geography.
• Carrs/Safeway (Albertsons): Long-standing Alaska grocery banner under Albertsons, dominant in Anchorage and present in Fairbanks. Competes head-to-head in the same geography with broader assortments and loyalty programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/alaska.lizzie
• Xx.com/CoOpMarketFBX
• Facebookfacebook.com/coopmarketfbx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Co-op Market Grocery & Deli