Slow sales threatening the closure of One Big Table grocer in Kelowna

A local cooperative grocer in Kelowna is fearing it may have to close up shop due to slow sales in recent months and it is asking its members, and the community, for support.

One Big Table has been a local grocer at 1440 St. Paul Street in downtown Kelowna for nearly two years, and recently their cash reserve to keep the business afloat has been dwindling, says Giulio Delle Nuvole Piccioli, founder and cooperative director.

In 2014, Piccioli launched a kickstarter campaign to create and produce a community based TV/Web Show called One Big Table. In 2017, he opened One Big Table to bring locally grown and sourced products to the Okanagan peoples.

"We're a cooperative-runned grocery store. We opened the doors only through, essentially, community support," Piccioli explained.

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Summer is looking good on the shop . #eatlocal #eatbc #explorekelowna #edibletransparency #eatorganic #dtkelowna #coffee #coop #kelownaeats #grocery #kelownafoodie #locallygrown #ylw #veganfood #okanagan #sharingaworldofshops #tourismkelowna #lunch #brunch #catering #coffeeshop

A post shared by One Big Table (@onebigtableshop) on Jun 22, 2019 at 5:06pm PDT

"We started off with a fairly low amount of cash to begin with and over the last few months that cash has been getting lower and lower to a point, now, that it's quite dangerous. Depending on sales, the potential of closing the doors is in front of us."

Piccioli was unsure how long the cooperative could remain running at its current pace but estimated that in as little as two months One Big Table could be no more.

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Charcuterie game on point ! #eatlocal #eatbc #explorekelowna #edibletransparency #eatorganic #dtkelowna #coffee #coop

A post shared by One Big Table (@onebigtableshop) on Jun 18, 2019 at 3:51pm PDT

"We're kind of exploring that as a possibility. It's one of the possibilities that are on the table that we clearly want to avoid but that we want to be prepared for," he said.

One Big Table is now looking to its members, and the wider Kelowna community, to keep the store's assortment of local and "seasonal fruits and vegetables, free-range meats and eggs, artisan cheeses and breads" on shelves and on St. Paul Street.

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>>> HELP KEEP ONE BIG TABLE OPEN <<< Dear One Big Table members, I am writing you today because we need your help. On September 6th 2017, the One Big Table Co-op opened its doors in its small location on St. Paul. From day one, we have pledged our dedication to the unique flavour of our region and to the artisans that create them. Together, we have learned where our food comes from, how it’s grown or raised, and how farmers and producers are compensated for their work, while providing a place for you to shop ethically daily. Like many startups, we opened with limited resources and after a few months of slower grocery sales, our cash reserve is shrinking; we are now under threat of closing our doors. We have responded quickly and decisively by refining our operation & focusing on groceries but despite a growing membership base & a great team, we still need help increasing our monthly sales. We are asking our members to support in any of the following ways: - visit the shop more frequently (of the 500 average visits we receive per month less than 20% is a repeated visit) - buy a little bit more with each visit - bring a friend to the shop - purchase a gift certificate - spread the word about the need for support with your community - participate, once again, in our upcoming AGM on July 10 to have a productive discussion about how to collectively improve One Big Table. It’s up to us to continue to see our community with OBT and guarantee diverse access to wholesome food in the downtown core. We understand participation to be the key to successful social change and embrace our little co-op as our own way of creating a meaningful opportunity to cultivate it. So let’s participate.

A post shared by One Big Table (@onebigtableshop) on Jun 26, 2019 at 9:35am PDT

Being a cooperative-owned grocery store, we are owned by our members and we have over 1,000 members that are apart of the co-op which means that we have over 1,000 owners. Ideally, what that means is that we have over 1,000 people that are involved in the business and would like to continue to see it do well," Piccioli said.

The store averages 40 visits per day, which they're hoping to increase to 50 visits per day and increase spending by $5 per visitor.

Additionally, the shop suggests showing support by bringing friends along, purchasing a gift certificate or participating in their Annual General Meeting on July 10 to discuss improvements to the shop.

"We can navigate these difficult times and then we can continue to grow and continue to provide the community with what we do," Piccioli concluded.