Seward Co-op opened in 1972 in Minneapolis, MN. At first, we were run by a core group of volunteers and had a small selection of products. Despite challenges in the early ’80s, membership and sales began to increase after adopting a general management structure. Seward reincorporated as a consumer co-op, patronage refunds were introduced and volunteering was no longer required. By 1987, we expanded and sales soon topped $1 million. In 1998, we opened a new store – sales, staff and membership doubled. In 2005, the co-op’s board recognized the community would support an even larger space. Co-op members invested $1.4 million in an expansion project; our current building opened in 2009. Today, we have 13,000 sq ft of retail space, 8,500+ members, and annual sales of $24.7 million.