Why the Heck Would I Shop Here?!
- Friendly people
- Great food
- Tons of local stuff
- Fun community events
- Co-op Principles and Values
Our Timeline
1844: A few weavers and artisans in Rochdale, England, open the first successful co-op with a “one member, one vote” governance structure. Chaos does not ensue. The idea spreads worldwide.
1936: 17 neighbors in Hanover, NH, and Norwich, VT, pool their resources to form the Hanover Consumers Club and order things like maple syrup and cases of citrus (i.e., an early food co-op).
1937: The Hanover Co-op is a thing—a sticky, delicious uprising that proves you can fight the Man with quality syrup and a really good grapefruit.
1940s–1950s: The little co-op graduates from a basement to a storefront downtown. We introduce the area’s first self-service grocery model, trusting people to pick their own onions without professional supervision.
1963: The Hanover Co-op moves to its current location on Park Street. The charm of the little storefront is exchanged for better parking.
1980s: We figure that if we can source kale, we can fix a radiator. Our auto service center is born. Members can now get an oil change and organic tomatoes from the same business.
1997–2000s: Growth spurt! We add two more food stores, a convenience store/market, and another auto service center. The brave little market eventually closes due to a lack of foot traffic. *sniff*
Today: 33,000+ members, 400+ local vendors, 3 food stores, 2 service centers, nearly $100M in yearly sales. (A staggering amount of granola if you stop to think about it). We’re now one of the largest food co-ops in the country, born out of the idea that “profit for the few” is boring and “maple syrup for the many” is a much better business model.