DFC Renovation 2008
The growth of the Davis Food Co-op has been phenomenal...
Our co-op is one of the healthiest in the country, and is a 30-year old institution in the city of Davis. We have much to be proud of—we’ve been thriving as a community-owned and environmentally-aware business since long before “natural foods” and “organic produce” were household words.
...and our biggest problem has been our success.
We’re bursting at the seams. Since our last major renovation in 1997, our sales have doubled, to 1700 transactions daily.
Seven to ten years is the industry average for renovations. We’re due, and it shows:
note the bottlenecks in the store, cracked flooring, the freezers that break down a lot.
When you grow as much as we have, you start to cram round pegs into square holes: while we have an excellent safety record, we can see the day coming when our dairy department is not a safe place to work in. Other areas of the store are similarly threatened.
The population of Davis isn’t growing, particularly, yet there’s more corporate grocery competition coming to town.
Renovation 2008 will face these issues straight on, by increasing our product line, making needed ergonmic and operational improvements and upgrading the aesthetics of the store, wall to wall.
Co-op shoppers fill the store during the October 2006 11% sale.
What's included in the renovation plan?
There will be changes you’ll see immediately as you shop, and some changes you’ll never see—but that are essential for a store our size.
Over the four phase renovation process,
here are some planned changes you’ll see:
• 20% more grocery display space, on new space efficient shelving.
• Up to 60% more display space in the produce area, displayed more attractively.
Left: our current produce display. Right: Produce case at another grocery store recently
renovated by the Co-op's designer. See more sample photos
• Expanded salad bar, hot foods and the cheese display.
Left: The Co-op's current cheese choices and display. Right: Cheese choices and display at another grocery store recently renovated by the Co-op's designer. See more sample photos
• An improved dairy department.
• A juice / smoothie bar.
• An improved health and beauty aids department.
• An improved meat counter, with better seafood and meat displays.
• A new line of Deli foods to complement your current favorites,
in a Deli with improved operations and aesthetics.
Left: Our current hot food bar. Right: Hot food bar at a grocery store recently renovated by the
Co-op's designer. See more sample photos
• More “grab and go” foods in the front of the store for greater convenience.
• New flooring and new lighting.
• The bottlenecks in the store will be removed through a more logical floorplan,
and products will be grouped in a more sensible way.
The frustrating bottleneck near the dairy becomes nearly impassable on weekends.
• A customer service counter.
• Improved, ergonomically correct checkstands.
• A complete teaching kitchen, with more cooking classes offered.
Over the four phase renovation process, here are some less visible planned changes that will occur “backstage” (but are of vital importance):
• A new computerized compressor system for our coolers will greatly enhance the
Co-op's energy efficiency. The new compressor systems will also mean less equipment breakdowns and product loss. We'll be saving energy and money.
• Improved worker safety in cheese and dairy. For example, most of the cheese back stock will be moved out onto the floor to both create a dynamic display and to free up much needed cooler space for the rest of the dairy items - thereby reducing the ergonomic hazards of lifting & stocking milk crates in an extremely tight space.
Left: The Co-op's dairy backstock is becoming too tight for safe working. Right: Due to an outgrown receiving area, product often waits on the sales floor to be stocked.
• Ergonomic improvements for bulk bins - it's hard work to lift and refill those
every day.
• Improved receiving area for products on the loading dock. We'll expand our grocery backstock area up so we can stop using the loading area to store product at busy times.
• Improved meeting room, office space, break room and employee restroom.
We’re taking the smartest path to renovation.
Over the last year, the Co-op staff and Board of Directors have been developing the plans for renovation with Sutti & Associates.
Sutti & Associates is a national leader at this kind of work. Having done this kind of work since 1976, they are considered a legend in the industry. We think they’re the best.
They have designed and/or renovated Whole Foods, Andronico’s, Molly Stone, Draegers and the Nugget Market on Covell Boulevard. Each project has respected and enhanced each store's unique identity.
Last year you may remember filling out a shopper survey at the register. Sutti & Associates collected over 600 survey responses in order to discover the particular needs of Co-op members and shoppers before starting on renovation plans.
In particular, 70% of survey respondents said they wanted an expanded produce department, 71% said they wanted an expanded bakery department and 66% said they wanted an improved deli. All three of these issues are addressed in the first phase of the renovation.
Sutti Associates looks at the big picture of a store’s needs—from the services the shoppers see as they shop, to all the infrastructure a $16 million-a-year store requires (and that most shoppers never see).
They provide a complete team of professionals—architects, equipment specialists, interior designers, food and product specialists, marketers—all to realize the goals of the store.
The improvements will take place over four phases, insuring that the renovation—which will change the Co-op as a place to shop and to work, make no mistake—will disrupt your shopping as little as possible.
By having one firm oversee all four phases, there is a continuity and efficiency
to the process. Click here to view sample photographs of the Phase 1 plan.
To learn more about Sutti Associates, visit their website at http://www.suttiassoc.com/
Learn more:
Phase 1 Sample Photographs
Renovation 2008 Master Plan Summary
Davis Food Co-op Home