The former Tom’s Market on Xenia Avenue in Yellow Springs is now under new management.
Now named Springs Market, the local grocery store has been purchased by the Yellow Springs Community Foundation. It will take ownership of the store as they continue through phase one of looking at the feasibility of making the store a co-op.
In the meantime, the foundation has been holding multiple meetings to gage community interest, capacity and skills for villagers looking to join a steering committee.
"So the hope is that sometime later in July or end of summer, that there will be a focus group that would step into that role of being the steering committee for a potential co-op," said the market’s interim project manager, Kumar Jensen. "Once that happens, there are five more steps in the cooperative development timeline. But it really then just becomes the decision-making of that steering committee about how they want to operate."
As that process continues to unfold, Springs Market will operate under a new, interim general manager, John Mabbott, who has an extensive career in grocery store and co-op management.
"I helped form the Northwest Cooperative Grocers Association, which was 11 stores, maybe 12, in Montana, California, Idaho and Washington," Mabbott said.
The store will soon see overall feng shui and deli updates, investments in local goods and even the return of a panini grill. Much of these updates have been informed my customer feedback.
"I think community voice and input is vitally important," Jensen said. "So comment cards, people stopping in and saying, expressing things that they're liking, concerns that they have. Even though, for example, the merchandising decisions may not be exclusively made based on one person's comment, that feedback is really valuable for us."
As changes continue to be implemented, Mabbott said the layout of the store may also undergo some changes, but only to benefit customers and their shopping experience.
"The vibe of the store is everything. The people walk in and they — feel loved, and they feel cared about," Mabbott said. "And not just because of what we do in the store, but of what we will do in a community."
While they have not removed many products from the store, they have decided to stop selling tobacco products and focus on offering consumers items they could not purchase before.
“We will probably in the next two months have a proper pet section," Mabbott said.
While these updates may take some time, Mabbott said he is optimistic about the future of Springs Market as he worked with the more than 20 team members he inherited from its previous owner.
"This is about my seventh job and the first time I ever walked in I thought, 'Oh these people could run this place,'" he said.
Mabbott said they also want to make Springs Market a more affordable and community-oriented spot, focused on maintaining its historic value while catering to villagers and visitors alike.
"Visitors can come and get their Yellow Springs Mug," he said. "We'll have a little travel section for them and get their Springs Market t-shirt and bag and things like that. "
Jensen said that will involve continuing community partnerships like the holiday flour and sugar distributions that Tom’s Market supported for years.
“It's also a good practice for the store in thinking about heightened community focus and input as it may transition to a co-op. And so just recognizing that community voice and input is really valuable and it is useful information.”
Jensen said the Yellow Springs Community Foundation's support in these efforts has also gone a long way in ensuring the future of the market.
