by Sarah Anderson for the Daily Evergreen

The Moscow Food Co-op had a groundbreaking year in 2009, recording their highest profits ever.

Profits from 2009 exceeded $200,000, almost doubling the co-op’s numbers from the previous year. Two key factors contributed to the store’s success: a loyal customer base and a shift in staff efficiency and communication.

“We got smarter about the things we were spending money on,” said Steve Kobs, Moscow Food Co-op store manager. “We were more focused on the expense side and managing costs of goods.” Employee communication was also a factor in the co-op’s successful year. Management opened up the lines of communication with their employees and gave them more specific information about sales goals and progress, Kobs said. Management empowered the employees and asked them to really think about how the business runs, Kobs said.

“Our employees weren’t being told what to do, but they were participating in the decisions to be successful,” he said. Kenna Eaton, the general manager of the Moscow Food Co-op, said the success could be boiled down to hard work from everyone involved in the store.

“When the going got tough, the tough got going,” Eaton said. “Everyone pitched in to make this year successful. With the economy, our sales were declining, and we recognized the need to work harder and we surprised ourselves,” she said. Even in the economic crisis, members and other customers still supported the co-op.

“We have very loyal customers,” Kobs said. “Because most of the customers are members of the co-op, they make sacrifices in other areas. They were still committed to purchasing organic food from our store.” The co-op strives to keep their loyal customer base with programs such as the Good Food Film Series, cooking classes and in-store music on Tuesday nights, said Carol Spurling, outreach and membership coordinator for the co-op. The store was also able to return $10,000 back to the top 500 customers in the form of coupons in the beginning of December as another way to give back to their members.

Excess funds also went to bonuses for employees and future projects for the store, like the installation of a salad bar and a new self-serve deli case, Spurling said.

As for 2010, the co-op is not planning to have as profitable a year, Eaton said.

“2010 can be a volatile year,” Eaton said. “We are not budgeting to be as profitable. We are not setting our sights super high. But our staff learned a lot of lessons in 2009, so if they apply those lessons, there is no reason we can’t have another profitable year.”