Alberta co-op gets a new look, continues to invest in community
When Alberta's Pincher Creek Co-op held its annual general meeting on June 18, the board had some notable updates for the communities it serves.
Operating since 1922 and now with locations in Pincher Creek, Cowley, Fort Macleod, Coleman and Sparwood, Pincher Creek Co-op is rooted in the community. The community is equally invested, with 8,529 active members.
Membership saw a noticeable increase in 2023, which general manager Kori Fast attributes to acquiring the Coleman and Sparwood Husky sites in September 2022.
Pincher Creek Co-op had a record year in 2023 in terms of total sales and additional petroleum litres. In return, the local co-op issued over $1.2 million in patronage refunds to its members and donated over $69,000 to charities in the communities it serves.
Additionally, the Pincher Creek Food Store is wrapping up renovations and is now just going through a deficiency list. The project saw an active timeline from the beginning of February to the end of May.
The biggest change with the renovations is the replacement of all refrigerated cases with new, high-efficiency ones. The previous cases, installed in 2006, were used units, now reaching the end of their life cycle.
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“It was time to update the equipment and from an energy-efficiency standpoint, the timing was right as well,” says Fast.
He notes that local customers have excitedly welcomed the changes.
“People were quite supportive through the reno, and feedback has been positive on everything from what we’ve done to the floor to aligning the shelves to the new decor,” Fast says.
The new look is not only more modern also but more sustainable with updated LED bulbs in addition to the new cases.
“I think it’s long overdue,” he says.
Anticipated energy savings from this shift will be reinvested into the Co-op’s operations and funding of future projects to improve shopping experiences.
Another change has been the recent update to the website to allow buying memberships online, streamlining the process.
Members of the co-op pay $5 for five shares of the business, which translates to equity and later cash allocated back to local customers from co-op profits.
Co-ops are unique from other grocery, gas and home stores in that they are owned by members and a democratically elected board of directors. The co-op believes this keeps it more in tune with local shopping needs, and profit can be shared back with members.
“As your membership matures, and you continue to support the co-op, your equity will continue to grow,” says Fast, noting that this equity helps to evolve the Pincher Creek for projects like renovations.
Under this model, 100% of profits stay in the community, according to the Co-op.
