How Whole Foods Co-Op Denfeld Became A Community Staple
In the early 2010s, Whole Foods Co-op began planning an expansion in Duluth, aiming to increase access to nutritious and local food and strengthen the resilience of the regional food system.
Co-op leadership, including then-General Manager Sharon Murphy, recognized an opportunity to extend the cooperative model into a new area, including growing neighborhoods that had limited access to traditional grocery stores.
The intention to expand was announced in the Duluth News Tribune in July 2013, and the community responded enthusiastically. In the 2013 Annual Report, Sharon noted that she received requests to add a store in neighborhoods across the region. She even fielded several “cheerful requests to put it ‘by my house.’” The voices of the community were heard, and market assessment studies were conducted for several locations.
Various sites were considered, guided by concrete factors such as market reach, traffic patterns, building and parking capacity, and impact on the existing store, but also by cooperative values and principles. At that time, a vacant lot in the Denfeld neighborhood stood out as a good opportunity due to the area’s limited options for groceries and the in-process redevelopment of Grand Avenue. Eventually, the board approved the selection of the second store’s location, right across the street from Denfeld High School.
Building a new store is a costly endeavor. In 2013, the Board of Directors called upon the 7,500 Whole Foods Co-op Owners, who responded in a truly cooperative fashion. Owners provided over $1.5 million in capital loans to the Co-op for the expansion, which accounted for about 20% of the total project development cost. Josephine, the current Finance Manager, processed the first Owner loan in 2013, and was present when the last of the Owners were repaid in 2023. Josephine shared, “Our Owners and staff believed in the project, but no one knew exactly how the journey would end. I got a rare opportunity to be here to see it through all the way to the last loan repayment. It was an awesome experience to be part of this chapter in Denfeld’s story.”
With the final hiring completed, the Denfeld store was ready to open in March 2016. After initial excitement, the store met some growing pains, missing its original sales projections. However, the staff pivoted as it learned more about the needs of its new neighbors. Erika, the current store manager, shared, “As we learned what our shoppers were seeking out, we found that there was more of a demand for conventional offerings. We continue to try to meet the needs of all our customers by presenting the selection, pricing, and qualities that they are looking for.”
The Denfeld business grew slowly and steadily. But then the pandemic changed people’s shopping patterns, to the benefit of the Co-op’s second store.
“The pandemic was a turning point for Denfeld because people were looking for ways to shop at the Co-op while having more space and fewer crowds,” Sarah Hannigan, current Whole Foods Co-op General Manager explained. “It introduced people to the new store, and then people kept coming after that.” Since the pandemic, Denfeld’s contribution to Whole Foods Co-op’s consolidated sales has grown from about 25% to over 40%.
Whole Foods Co-op is grateful for how the Denfeld store expanded its ability to serve a wider community, both making it easier for people living in the neighborhood, Superior and surrounding area to access its offerings, but also for the positive impact the Co-op continues to have on the Denfeld neighborhood.
Whole Foods Co-op is involved in the West Duluth Business Club and is a regular at Spirit Valley Days. The Co-op is also proud to support the nonprofits in neighborhoods surrounding the store, including Northern Expressions Arts Collective, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland, Ecolibrium3, and many others.
As Denfeld looks to the future, the focus remains on deepening its impact. As the store grows into its potential sales volume, it is poised to provide greater market access for local farmers and food producers, as well as deeper partnerships with community groups. This impact on the community wouldn’t be possible without your ongoing support. Thank you for shopping at Whole Foods Co-op and supporting the Denfeld location. Here’s to another great 10 years – and beyond!