Hanover Co-op Adds 4th Location in Vermont

The Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society, operator of the Co-op Food Stores of Hanover and Lebanon, NH, plans to open a fourth food store to be located in White River Junction, Vt.

The new store will occupy a 15,000 square foot space left vacant by the bankruptcy of Penn Traffic Co. of Syracuse, N.Y., operators of P&C grocery stores, and will be Hanover Co-op’s fourth store within a 7-mile radius.

“Throughout the recession, the staff in all our locations worked to keep our co-op stable and healthy,” said Hanover Co-op general manager Terry Appleby. “We stayed profitable despite the recession and growing competition from chain stores, and now we are on solid footing to increase our service to members and customers.”

The new Co-op, which Hanover expects to open late June, will be one mile from the Upper Valley Food Co-op, a cooperative neighbor specializing in natural foods. Hanover Co-op communications director Allan Reetz foresees a continued balanced relationship between the two cooperatives. “As a shopper at both co-ops, I find each one serves customers in ways that are more complementary than competitive. Although there are some similarities in our product mix, I know I’m not the only who buys some things at the Upper Valley Food Co-op that aren’t found at the Co-op Food Stores and visa versa.”

The Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society was founded in 1936 and has more than 18,000 active members. The Co-op currently operates two full-service grocery stores, a community market, and an auto service center. Annual revenues for 2009 were approximately $65 million.
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