The Co-op Food Stores of New Hampshire and Vermont

added 01/03/12

With this issue of the Co-op News, we begin another era in the history of publications put out by the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society.

When our Co-op was first formed as a buying club in 1936, it communicated with its members through the publication of two weekly bulletins that covered cooperative and consumer issues, respectively. Those hand-typed, mimeographed sheets were delivered by bicycle to the early members, who happened to live within reasonable pedaling distance of one another.

Four-page folded sheets began to appear in the 1960s and were mailed to members on a monthly or bimonthly basis. The newsletter switched to tabloid-sized newsprint in 1980 and adopted a standard, multi-column newspaper style. By 2000, it averaged 20 pages per issue and was mailed to every Co-op member six times per year.

In 2001 we switched to today’s magazine or “half-tab” format, still using newsprint for economic purposes. We also began mailing copies only to those members who requested them. Additional copies were stocked in the stores for pickup at the registers.

Major Changes in 2012

This year, we will no longer mail the Co-op News. Members and shoppers can access it online on our website, coopfoodstore.coop, or pick up paper copies in any of our retail locations. Members who wish to be alerted by email when a new issue arrives are welcome to put themselves on our e-newsletter mailing list. Issues will come out in January, May, July, and October.

In addition to changes in the News, we will be changing how our members receive election and annual meeting information. Watch for the mailer coming your way in mid-March, with candidate statements, voting information, ballots, and details about this year’s Annual Meeting and Expo on Sunday, March 31.

The Co-op’s Annual Report will also see a major makeover this year. We will be using a smaller, more colorful format to highlight the past year’s most interesting data and information, with links to online resources where you can read more detail about the topics that interest you most. Annual Reports will not be mailed, but will be available at the Annual Meeting and in the stores.

Why All the Changes?

With increased awareness of environmental sustainability issues, many of our members no longer wish to receive printed materials in the mail. In addition, the cost of mailing continues to increase. Electronic media make it easy to receive information in a more sustainable and economical manner and, for many, are the preferred means of communication. Meanwhile, for those who prefer print, the News will continue to be available, but will no longer be mailed out.

We hope our newly designed Annual Report will catch your fancy and pique your interest in the Co-op’s yearly roundup of milestones and financial performance.

As always, we look forward to receiving your feedback on how we’re doing!

Rosemary Fifield is the Director of Education and Member Services for the Co-op Food Stores