Member Interview: Cornucopia Foods
Member Services Manager
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Bud Stockwell owns and operates Cornucopia out of northampton, Massachusetts. A city of approximately 30,000.
AS: Can you give me a little bit of background on your store? BS: My wife and I started Cornucopia in 1980, almost thirty years ago. We’re in a town of 30 thousand and our store is pretty small. It’s only 2000 sq feet, yet we’re doing 2.5 million out of it, more than a thousand per foot! That’s with having a lot of competition, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, a huge coop and a discount natural food store.
Did you start out strong like that?
It took a while to build our business but we’ve developed a strong following. We’ve always been very customer centered. We felt like we could make a difference in our own small way. We’ve always tried to do what’s best for the town we live in, the environment and our customers well being.
Why did you go into natural foods?
It was a way of making a living that meshed with my ideals. Remember that 30 years ago, awareness about natural foods and supplements was very different. The majority of Americans ate very differently back then. From the beginning our focus was on buying locally, carrying as much organic as possible and teaching people about natural foods.
Did you see yourself doing anything else?
Not really but now I’ve started a second career. I’ve been making chocolate for the last 2.5 years. Heavenly Chocolate is the brand. It’s an artisan chocolate made from scratch using flavors like vanilla lavender and habanero mango. It’s all hand made and hand dipped.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Hanging in there with competition. Learning
to be a good manager.
Biggest success? Staving off the competition and being a good manager.
Where do you see yourself going in the future? Later today, home. Seriously, it has been a tough year, my first goal is to see us recover and flourish. I love the store, being part of the community, and the people I work with. Having said that, I’d love to spend more time