Business is blooming

The opening of a small store in an alleyway in downtown Bloomington in 1976 marked the beginning of the successful co-op Bloomingfoods, which has since offered consumers alternatives to national grocery store chains.\nSome products come from local farmers and producers within a 60-mile radius of Bloomington, while others come from whole foods distributors throughout the nation. Unlike national grocery chains, cooperative stores like Bloomingfoods thrive by supporting the local community, and every consumer knows whether his or her yogurt came from Pennsylvania or Oregon.\nIn 1976, the first Bloomingfoods opened on Kirkwood Avenue. Now, the company has grown to include two grocery stores, The Encore Cafe and The Theatre Cafée. \nThough the feel \nof competition\nagainst national \ngrocery stores is prevalent, Susan Bright, store manager at the Kirkwood location, said co-ops can still survive in the natural food industry. \n"In the sale of organic foods, the co-op is number No. 2 in productivity," she said. \nThe first in productivity is Whole Foods, a national, corporate organic grocery store. \nHowever, Brights says there are significant traits that distinguish Bloomingfoods from Whole Foods and other national grocery store chains.\n"We have loyal shoppers, environmentally conscious food and we are not here to make money. We are here to serve the community," she said. "It all comes down to who you can trust." \nJunior Scott Andreas said he chooses Bloomingfoods over conventional grocery stores because he knows where his food is coming from. \n"At Bloomingfoods, most groceries are either local, organic or both," he said, "I know my Caesar salad did not travel 3,000 miles to get to my plate. It is not covered in chemicals, and I am supporting local growers --\nreal people -- rather than corporate factory farms." \nBloomingfoods is one of the 106 members of the National Cooperative Grocer Association, a group that offers its members such benefits as collecting data from co-ops nationwide to compare their practices and operations.\nAdditionally, members can receive business services such as payroll processing and office supplies and materials. Bright said the association enables individual stores to pool with others to increase national productivity.\n"We're not just buying for our two stores in town, but in effect, we are buying for 130 stores nationwide," she said. \nAlong with locally based farmers, Bloomingfoods also receives products from a whole-foods division of United Natural Foods Inc., a company based in Dayville, Conn. \nOne of Bloomingfoods' marketing strategies is starting off each week with a sale. Every Monday, various products throughout the store go on sale, and according to a sales chart, profits reach more than $3,400. That sets the pace for the week, with weekends bringing less than $2,900. \nThe store is ultimately run by a board of directors elected by shoppers who are members of the co-op. To become a member, consumers simply pay a monthly or one-time fee. \nBright said Bloomingfoods has more than 5,000 members and owners worldwide. \n"I really think both national conventional grocers and cooperative grocers are economically important," senior Eric Lee said. "However, I am against one company driving out the others and monopolizing the competition. We should support both." \nBright said Bloomingfoods strives for a friendly atmosphere in order to further growth. \n"If you do a good job, everyone will know about it, but similarly, if you do a bad job, everyone will know about it," she said.\nBright also recognizes the importance of the customer in this business and noticed a trend in consistent shoppers. \n"Our members are truly invested in the business," she said. "The people who shop here are outgoing and friendly, building relationships with us. That is our incentive to work hard"