On Saturday, November 12, Greenbelt Consumer Cooperative (GCC) held its first in-person annual meeting since the Covid-19 pandemic. GCC is better known as the Co-op independent grocery store in Roosevelt Center.
More than 100 people attended and were treated to fresh cantaloupe, pineapple, grapes, cake and coffee.
Financial Report
The financial report from long-serving treasurer Joe Timer described 2022 as another unusual year. Covid-19 supply chain issues and significant increases in prices due to inflation, continued to impact the Co-op, as well as the implementation of a major accounting modernization. The Co-op also completed the first full fiscal year of operating the restaurant at the New Deal Café.
Total fiscal year sales were $13,451,840, up 3.6 percent from last year. But after subtracting expenses, the Co-op had a net loss of $294,421. Due to the loss, no patronage refunds will be issued this year.
Significant positive one-time financial impacts included forgiveness of Co-op’s Covid Paycheck Protection Program loan and a $40,000 donation from the estate of a former member. The rooftop solar panels reduced utility bills by $20,000 compared to 2020. Co-op’s 5,328 members represented almost 80 percent of sales.
The largest negative impact came from the New Deal Café restaurant operation, which lost $135,415, but is expected to perform significantly better next year. The Co-op also invested in a new security system with more cameras inside and outside the store.
After retirement of its longtime assistant manager and acting financial officer, Dave Brinks, the Co-op hired a new auditor and accounting firm. The accounting modernization cost $50,000, but has already yielded dramatically improved real-time tracking of expenses and payments and enables financial statements on a monthly basis instead of quarterly.
One issue highlighted by the new system is long-accrued shortfalls in payments from prescription benefit programs like Caremark and CVS, which have charged extra fees to process prescriptions filled at the pharmacy. Many years of accumulated small charges resulted in a one-time $80,000 write-off this year. Even with the net loss, Co-op’s primary lender had enough confidence in Co-op’s financial health to offer the store an unsolicited $100,000 line of credit.
Manager’s Report
General Manager Dan Gillotte reported how the Covid pandemic still is having an impact on the Co-op and New Deal Café. Supply chain disruptions mean the availability of wholesale orders was much less predictable, forcing staff to spend a significant amount of time finding alternate suppliers. Hiring new employees was reported as very challenging, despite pay raises for current and new staff. Suppliers’ prices have increased dramatically due to inflation and the Co-op attempted to delay passing price increases onto customers for as long as possible. Crowds at the Café were significantly reduced due to Covid, but in recent months have been recovering to 2019 levels.
Gillotte listed planned improvements that include a new cash register system which will make it easier to enroll new members. When the Co-op implements self-checkout, Gillotte pledged no reduction in staff positions and that staffed checkout lines will always be available.
The Co-op also increased professional development opportunities for managers through its membership in the National Cooperative of Grocers (NCG). NCG also provided an analysis of sales and implemented a store reorganization.
Members submitted questions before the meeting that were answered at the end. One member asked if Co-op could offer more benefits as an incentive to increase membership. Gillotte replied that a whole package of new member benefits will be rolled out in coming months.
Voting
There was confusion about who was eligible to vote. While anyone can become a member for $10, Co-op bylaws state only members who have accumulated $100 in their account are eligible to vote.
Jim Cassels Award
Each annual meeting also includes presentation of the Jim Cassels Community Service Award. Donna Hoffmeister and Jeff Cassels announced the 2022 winner: the Greenbelt Wigglers. This program converts local food waste from the Co-op, the New Deal Café and other sources into compost using worms which is then made available at the Greenbelt Farmers Market. Program representative Beth LeaMond announced the Cassels grant will enable the Wigglers to conduct vermiculture outreach at Greenbelt schools and post signs at the worm and compost bins explaining the project.
On behalf of last year’s recipient, Frank Gervasi reported the Utopia Film Festival used their award to support a film about the 2020 election in Georgia.
Gallery of Values
Gillotte highlighted that cooperatives are different from other kinds of businesses or chain stores and that the Co-op values should be reflected in how it operates. The meeting opened with an activity called the Gallery of Values. Blank posters lined a wall, listing each of the 10 cooperative values – self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, solidarity, honesty, openness, caring for others and social responsibility.
On each poster, members wrote how the Co-op demonstrated those values. For instance, participants wrote that the Co-op demonstrated social responsibility by working with local merchants.
During the meeting, members were also asked to imagine headlines projecting what the Co-op would be doing in 2040. Attendees saw the Co-op winning an award for best workplace, providing translation services to support growing diversity among customers, expanding parking, leading the fight to keep independent pharmacies alive, opening a new store in Franklin Park and installing a state-of-the-art refrigeration system to reduce climate change. Finally, one member foresaw Co-op in 2040 would repeatedly sell out of levitating chocolates.
