Daily Bread, an independent wholefoods co-operative which has been operating in King’s Hedges, Cambridge for 30 years, has warned it may be forced to cease trading as the economic crisis continues to hit trade.
The co-op – not to be confused with the similarly named Northampton worker co-op – was formed with a mission to sell “ethically sourced products including a wide variety of local, organic, gluten-free, and vegan options, all at a fair price, avoiding the exploitation of others and our natural world”.
But in a post on its website, it warned that it is facing “unavoidable economic difficulties”. The news follows the loss of several independent food co-ops to the cost-of-living crisis, with others warning of tough times and uncertainty.
Related: Independent grocery co-ops and the economic crisis
“This is the announcement we didn’t want to have to make, but sadly, we have no option,” it said. “We are regrettably facing closure … unless there is a radical turnaround in customer shopping habits.”
The co-op added: “We are asking our customers and community to please use us or lose us, and show support by shopping with us now and in coming months. Every single purchase counts. We hope that together we can keep our co-operative community healthy and thriving.”
Its financial situation means no new staff have been hired to replace those that have left, leaving the co-op “operating at a reduced scale”, it said,
“You may see the effects of this with, for example, more pre-packed products replacing those we pack, fewer staff around the shop, and slightly longer response times with communications,” the message added. “Please be patient with us as we try our best.
“Various economic crises have affected everyone financially, and we understand that people are having to adapt their shopping choices.
If you wish to support us but are unable to due to this, we would really appreciate it if you spread the word about us by telling friends and family, posting reviews, and sharing on social media.”
If you want to support Daily Bread, you can find it at dailybreadcambridge.org
