Fiscal year 2007 was an eventful year for the Willy Street Co-op. A new store location was selected and building plans were drawn up, a major reworking of their website was developed, and the Co-op was reclassified as an "Extra Large" store (up from "Large") by the National Cooperative Grocers Association. In addition, a new purchasing agreement with their largest natural foods supplier was negotiated which will result in lower prices for members.

The financial report showed solid growth with sales increasing 4.24% year over year. Sales growth for FY 2006 was 9.83% and 13.74% for FY 2005. Finance Manager Gene Hahn noted that this indicates that, while strong, sales growth is beginning to slow down at their current location. Net income was $181,000 on sales of $15,131,773. Other financial highlights include $1,239,601 held in cash, an increase of $457,178 since last year which should put the Co-op in a strong position to support the expansion plans.

Other miscellaneous statistics from the Annual Report:

* Number of employees: 150
* Full-time employees: 98
* Average hourly wage: $12.52
* Average number of customers per day: 1,596
* Average customer transaction: $28.05
* Sales volume per day: $44,127
* Number of members: 15,739
* Number of new members: 3,286

Related links:

The Vegan Variant: Willy Street Co-op
Willy Co-op opening new kitchen

Source: Fiscal Year 2007 Annual Report.