Bowdeya Tweh

btweh@enquirer.com

The group working to open a Clifton food cooperative is inching ahead on fundraising goals.

Leaders of the community group want to sprint to meet their October goal to buy a building for a co-op grocery store.

Clifton Cooperative Market officials say they have a quarter of the money needed to buy the former Keller's IGA at 319 Ludlow Ave. The capital campaign continues in efforts to raise $1.65 million by Oct. 11 after signing an April purchase contract with Steve Goessling, owner of the shuttered store.

Market board member Marilyn Hyland said the entire project calls for about $4.5 million to buy, remodel, fully stock and open the store.

So far, Hyland said the store has more than 500 owners. It is seeking more than 1,000. By being an owner in the co-op, a loan could be made to support the operation.

If half the money needed is raised, Hyland said the group could seek more from banks or other financiers.

In the last few months, the team has added people to its organizing efforts. Randy Miller, who has worked in the local grocery industry for more than 35 years, is now an adviser and expected to be store manager. The group has also tapped Minneapolis-based retail consultant Keith Wicks to help develop store financial estimates, a financing plan and an operational vision.

Miller, of Montgomery, said he read about the market's efforts in The Enquirer and reached out to the group to offer his help.

"I believe strongly in the project," Miller said. "The potential is there for a niche supermarket grocery store to do extremely well. We want to have that local feel with the mix of products that a customer wants."

Wicks has studied developing a market at the Ludlow site before. A few years ago, Nash Finch reached him to complete a market assessment to figure out whether a store under Goessling's direction would work. The previous conclusion: A conventional grocery store format would struggle as a result of typical grocery business pressures and competition from Kroger and others.

Miller envisions a full-service supermarket with an "uptrend" feel and assortment. Wicks said in today's marketplaces, a store would have to be competitive with staple grocery items such as bread and milk, but also have create customer loyalty with strong specialty food offerings and other store categories from beer and wine to produce and meat.

Officials see an opportunity for the store to capture 8,000 to 10,000 customer transactions per week.

"There's a significant base of business to regroup and build upon," said Wicks, referring to Uptown's population density and employment base.