EAST MONTPELIER – Thursday, Feb. 6, is the last day to shop at the village co-op location, wrote the Plainfield Co-op Board in a January 30 community update, saying they are in the final stages of the move and volunteers are needed. The board is moving forward with plans to sell the village location.
“We received a professional appraisal of the building and we’re in contact with potential buyers. Once the board negotiates the details of a potential sale, we will host meetings in person and on Zoom to share the plans and answer your questions,” wrote the board.
“All real estate transactions require a vote of the members so stay tuned for details. The village co-op has been an important touchstone and gathering place for many, many people. We acknowledge the deep sadness that accompanies this sale. We also believe that the building, under new ownership, will continue to be an asset for our community. We’re excited to invest the proceeds into developing and growing our new home on Route 2.”
Progress is being made all around at the new location, they said: New produce coolers have been installed and are fully stocked, sinks and counters have created a new produce prep area, more shelving and more grocery options have been added. A bulk section is coming soon and a new sign for the outside of the building is on the way.
Challenges with the point-of-sale (POS) system will be resolved with the help of an expert being brought in to help merge tens of thousands of items into one POS by mid-February. “Vital to the operations of any retail business, our new POS system will scan items, process payments, offer co-op member benefits, accept EBT transactions and track inventory,” wrote the co-op board.
The new Plainfield Co-op location is at 4723 U.S. Route 2.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.