Take a look inside the Littleton Food Co-op expansion
Seven years after it opened, the Littleton Food Co-op in Littleton, New Hampshire, broke ground on an expansion to meet its customers' need for more variety. Here's a tour of the new store and how the co-op has grown more than just its square footage.
![Take a look inside the Littleton Food Co-op expansion Take a look inside the Littleton Food Co-op expansion](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt09e5e63517a16184/blt1998c46d59f31bf9/64ff1e9d2d3e702f77993f18/Littleton-Co-op-expansion-side-title_1.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
After considering four architects, the co-op’s board of directors chose Vermont firm gbArchitecture based on the efficiency of the design and its cost, according to general manager Ed King. He did not say what the expansion and remodel cost or how the co-op financed the expense. The design was nominated for an award from the Vermont Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Trumbull-Nelson Construction Co., Inc., a New Hampshire firm, was hired to build the expansion. Construction began in August 2016, and the new building later was connected to the existing store. Parking at the co-op was limited throughout the project, King wrote. The new store is 21,100 square feet at ground level and features a 1,900-square foot loft, he said via email.
With the expansion, Littleton Food Co-op had enough room to move its administration offices from an off-site location to the new loft and to create a break room for employees. The company is known for buying local foods: King said local foods account for 27.5 percent, or $3.4 million, of sales.
The co-op’s board of directors took a major step toward its mission of supporting a sustainable environment when its members opted to add 106 solar panels to the roof of the new building. Other energy-efficient features include LED lights, adding doors to 104 feet of open refrigeration, and free cooling technology, King wrote. Electric-car charging spaces have also been added, he said.
The building isn’t all that’s new at Littleton Co-op. Tables and shaded areas provide places for customers or employees to enjoy a meal outside. The expansion created more room for the store’s Grab-n-Go prepared foods, as well as a 900-square-foot multipurpose room where people can dine, King wrote. Prepared food sales doubled in 2017 compared with 2016, he said.
Keeping with its mission of buying local, the co-op chose a New Hampshire sign company to create its new moniker. The sign was posted in March, the same month the new space opened to customers, King said. Builders then spent two months remodeling the original store, upgrading the lighting and decor to create a seamless transition between the two buildings.
After both parts of the store were ready, the Littleton Food Co-op celebrated a grand reopening on May 19, 2017. Employees gathered for a group picture to mark the occasion. Since the reopening, King wrote, customer counts have increased 500-600 per week, to between 5,500 and 6,200. During 2017, an additional 575 members joined, as of mid-December.
One goal of the expansion was to maintain the co-op’s growth, so more floor space was dedicated to bulk products, King wrote.
Littleton Food Co-op began selling bulk liquids in June. Customers can bring their own containers, have them weighed, then choose from a variety of products: vanilla extract, Dr. Bronner’s soaps, cooking oils and more.
The store also expanded space for wellness products, specialty cheeses and craft beer. These categories have seen the greatest growth since the grand reopening, as well, King wrote. In total sales, the store reached $10.1 million before the project started; sales are expected to reach $11.2 million this year and $12.4 million in 2018, he stated.
The new multi-purpose room, which seats 30, isn’t just for dining. The store hosts numerous community events such as Lobsterpalooza, farm tastings, cooking demonstrations, wellness fairs and classes, cook-offs, benefit pizza parties and, pictured here, Bach and Brews, a series of discussions about beer followed by classical music concerts.
The community’s response to the expansion has been overwhelmingly positive, King wrote. Even with the increased customer count, the store isn’t as cramped as it had been, and it offers more variety. Customers are buying more, as well: The average basket sale is now $37.50, up 7 percent from $35, he reported.
The community’s response to the expansion has been overwhelmingly positive, King wrote. Even with the increased customer count, the store isn’t as cramped as it had been, and it offers more variety. Customers are buying more, as well: The average basket sale is now $37.50, up 7 percent from $35, he reported.
Northwestern New Hampshire’s Littleton Food Co-op, located less than 5 miles away from the Vermont border as the crow flies, opened in May 2009 with 13,5000 square feet and a mission to support local food, healthy life choices and a sustainable environment.
Just four years later, however, the member-owned corporation’s board of directors realized that little store needed to grow. The work and new space have paid off: Sales are up 15 percent to 20 percent from 2016, general manager Ed King wrote in an email. Take a look at the construction process, this year’s grand opening and the new, bigger Littleton Food Co-op.
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