By: Dan Streit, Board Member
One More Reason Co-ops are Great
Maybe, like me, you first started shopping at Willy Street Co-op because you value the delicious array of local, sustainably grown foods that the Co-op’s three stores offer. Or perhaps you like the idea that your grocery dollars are supporting a local business that gives back to the communities that it serves through grant-making, support for local organizations, and sponsorship of neighborhood events.
In addition to offering delicious, healthy foods and investing in its community, being a cooperative is central to Willy Street Co-op’s identity and its way of doing business. Being a member of the Co-op means that you are also an Owner of the Co-op.
On behalf of your Board of Directors, I’m pleased to share that the Co-op was profitable in Fiscal Year 2025 (June 30, 2024–June 29, 2025)! As a co-op, Wisconsin state law gives the Board several options for how to use the organization’s net surplus. The Board can choose to retain that surplus on its balance sheet, or it can distribute the surplus among the cooperative’s members.
Every October, Willy Street Co-op’s Owners cast votes to elect the organization’s Board of Directors. As Board members, we represent the interests of the Co-op’s 34,442 Owners, while also being responsible for governing the organization in a way that supports the Co-op’s long-term financial sustainability.
The Board weighed these responsibilities as it deliberated on how to use the FY25 surplus. Owners have invested in the Co-op and have sustained the Co-op for more than 50 years. Willy Street Co-op’s staff work tirelessly to ensure that the amazing local, sustainable foods that first drew you to the Co-op are there for you any time you choose to stop by one of the stores. We also recognize that Willy Street Co-op needs to manage its financial resources so that it can continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive and consolidated retail grocery market.
The Board decided to distribute the FY25 net surplus so as to recognize the value of the investments of Owners in Willy Street Co-op and the essential contributions of staff, while also investing in supporting the financial wellbeing of the organization. To achieve these objectives, the Board voted to distribute a profit share to staff and to use 40% of the available funds to issue patronage refund store credits to Owners and to retain the remaining 60% of the funds on the Co-op’s balance sheet in order to sustain Willy Street Co-op through any challenges in the year ahead.
Please look for more information on how to access your store credit (if you spent more than $586.50 in FY25) in your mailbox or email inbox by January 14. Thank you and enjoy!
