Despite pending change in location, Cornucopia owners plan to stay true to mission
Jade Jump and Nate Clifford, owners of the natural market that has been a mainstay in the Northampton community since 1980, are actively searching the region for a more affordable site. So far, when considering the realities of post-pandemic retail spaces, Holyoke and Easthampton are contenders, they said.
'Our mission has always been to bring good, clean, organic food to people who don't have easy access to it,' said Clifford, 'and that's part of the reason why Holyoke is so appealing.'
The couple bought the natural grocery store in 2019 and, according to Jump, had 'the best year ever.'
Then the pandemic hit. Cornucopia closed for three months and then reopened for curbside delivery before it was able to fully reopen as a store. According to Clifford, sales haven't been the same since then.
Clifford said that, despite keeping a good profit margin and a tight expense record, sales have still been down 35% since 2019.
'The only way that we survived has been just being extremely scrappy,' said Clifford. 'Two years ago, we were like, 'This is what we need to get to in order to survive,' and we never got there. So we had to make the decision to leave before the decision was made for us.'
Cornucopia is not an anomaly in downtown Northampton, though. Since 2019, it has been estimated that at least 20 local downtown businesses have closed their doors, according to local reports, altering the face of the shopping and restaurant mecca in the Valley. This total does not include local businesses that have moved to neighboring towns like Easthampton.
When queried about the closures, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra's office issued a statement, wishing the business well in its endeavors.
Vince Jackson, executive director of the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce, said that, while he is heartbroken to see Cornucopia leave, he doesn't believe high rents are a problem, as some new businesses continue to open their doors.
'Commercial rents on a square-foot basis have remained stable for well over 10 years,' said Jackson, citing chamber tallies.
From his perspective, Clifford had to disagree. He said that, while people are shopping less post-pandemic, commercial rents in Northampton have stayed the same as pre-pandemic times.
'Retail is fundamentally different.' he said. 'We can only go by the numbers, and the data shows that we're down nearly 35% from a foot-traffic standpoint.'
To prepare for moving costs, Cornucopia is having a storewide sale and has set up a GoFundMe account. While they are able to move without the GoFundMe, Clifford said that having an extra cushion will determine how much they can do in their new space.
Throughout this change, both Clifford and Jump still value the community that has been a market pillar for decades. Clifford reflected on how the care from customers got him through when his father died unexpectedly last year.
'I just got hugs and support for weeks and weeks and weeks,' he said. 'I don't think people realize how much that helped me get through it.'
Jump recalled pandemic times, when they were doing curbside deliveries while she was pregnant, working up until the day she gave birth.
'I think people see and realize that we are authentic, and we genuinely care, and we genuinely love what we do, and we want to make a difference,' she said.
Community has long been an integral piece of the store's ethos. Jump and Clifford often have hand-delivered orders if a customer has a mobility or health problem and is unable to come to the store.
The care has been reciprocal. Jump said 98% of the response to their move announcement has been supportive, with customers stating, 'wherever you go, we will follow.'
Read the original article on MassLive.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Government needs to overhaul ‘unfair' business rates, says Greene King boss
The boss of pub giant Greene King has said the Government needs to overhaul business rates for the sector amid rising closures across the UK. Nick Mackenzie, boss of the 1,500-strong pub firm, said reduced property tax payments were needed to drive investment and new jobs after swallowing recent cost hikes. It comes days after figures from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) pointed towards a surge in pub closures due to heightened financial pressures. The body estimated that 378 pubs will close this year across England, Wales and Scotland after increased stress on the industry so far this year. It said this would amount to more than 5,600 direct job losses. Industry bosses have said easing business rates could help support some pub businesses currently at threat of future closure. Mr Mackenzie said the current system of business rates is 'unfair' on the sector, focusing on revenues rather than profitability, which has heavily diminished across pubs in recent years amid sharp increases in operating costs. 'Pubs are going to be around for the long term, but we need to address the unfairness in the system to allow them to flourish,' he said. 'It isn't fair that the sector has 0.4% of the rateable property but pay 2.1% of the bills. 'The sector is a massive employer and incredibly important for local communities, so we just feel it is important to underline how beneficial it is to tax pubs fairly.' Greene King is among pub firms to have said recent cost increases, such as the rise in National Insurance contributions and the higher national minimum wage, have caused them to pull back on some investment plans. Mr Mackenzie said Greene King would secure £13.7 million in annual savings to be invested in its pubs with reforms to business rates. The firm is asking Chancellor Rachel Reeves to introduce a specific, lower business rates multiplier for all pubs at the Autumn Budget, giving them a 20p discount on their current rate. It is also asking the Government to change how the Valuation Office Agency calculates the rateable value of a pub at the 2026 revaluation. The Labour Government has previously said it plans to reform business rates to 'create a fairer system'. It came as the company released its Growth on Tap report on reforming tax policy in the sector, which highlighted that its pubs are facing significant business rate increases due to a recent reduction in discounts for the sector. 'The Government has made growth its number one priority, and the Chancellor now has the opportunity to make changes that will immediately unlock millions of pounds to do just this,' Mr Mackenzie said. 'We will be able to go even further and faster with our investments – creating new jobs, refurbishing pubs and breathing life back into communities up and down the country.' Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists Discovered a Genetic Mutation That May Protect Against Alzheimer's
A new study suggests a gene mutation could have a protective effect against Alzheimer's. The research looked specifically at blood stem cells, which live in the bone marrow and make different types of blood cells. Here's what you should know about the blood stem cell mutation and what this means for you. Genetic mutations aren't always a bad thing. A groundbreaking new study suggests that mutations on a single gene may actually be beneficial when it comes to Alzheimer's disease. The study, which was published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, looked at blood stem cells' interaction with the brain, and how mutations on a single gene can protect against Alzheimer's. 'We now know that these cells that circulate in the blood also have the capacity to go into the brain,' says Katherine King, MD, PhD, study co-author and professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. 'That's important in something like Alzheimer's disease.' Here's what the research found, plus what it suggests for the future of Alzheimer's treatment. Meet the experts: Clifford Segil, DO, is a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA; Katherine King, MD, PhD, is a study co-author and professor at the Baylor College of Medicine For the study, Dr. King and her fellow researchers looked at blood stem cells in mice and humans. They discovered that people and mice with specific blood stem cell mutations in a gene called TET2 were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those without the mutation. As a result, the researchers concluded that there appears to be a 'protective effect' of this mutation. Blood stem cells, a.k.a. hematopoietic stem cells, live in the bone marrow and make different types of blood cells, including red blood cells, immune cells, and platelets, Dr. King explains. 'Immune cells protect us from infections, but they have an important role in helping the body stay healthy. That includes 'taking out the trash,'' Dr. King explains, referring to cellular waste. 'Our tissues normally produce waste and sometimes get injured. We have to clear out the injured cells to make way for healthy cells.' As you age, these blood stem cells can develop mutations. The mutations don't usually cause issues, but sometimes they cause cells to divide more than others and create a clone. That's called clonal hematopoiesis, and it's been linked to a higher risk for conditions like cardiovascular disease, leukemia, stroke, and more. But blood stem cell mutations in the TET2 gene can travel to the brain, where they may actually help clear out damaged tissue that naturally accumulates with age, Dr. King explains. 'In Alzheimer's disease, there are proteins or parts of cells that are damaged tissues that build up,' she says. 'We have to get rid of them or clear them away.' This new research essentially found that the mutated blood stem cells can go to the brain and help with the process of 'clearing out the trash,' King says. The discovery has opened the door for potential new treatments, although we're not quite there yet. 'Supportive cells to brain neurons may be a future potential target for a therapy in humans, as removing old damaged cells may be a reasonable way to fight aging in the brain,' says Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. A future treatment that's able to help healthy cells remove old or unhealthy cells may help improve brain health, he says. But Dr. King says this process is a little complicated. 'The change in stem cells isn't totally benign: There are risks and benefits,' she says. 'The same change that may be helpful with Alzheimer's disease is also linked with other dangerous things like heart disease and strokes.' Dr. King says it may be possible to engineer stem cells to follow specific pathways to help enhance the function of the brain without causing risks—but that's still TBD. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Feeling charitable? GoFundMe creates a new way to give money.
Chances are you have donated to a friend or relative's GoFundMe campaign. The crowdfunding platform lets people raise money through fundraisers for personal financial needs like medical bills, or to help give a child who has lost a parent with an education fund. Last week, the platform rolled out a more formalized way to be charitable — and reap the associated tax benefits. Called Giving Funds, the program lets individuals create their own donor-advised funds which then steer donations to 501(c)(3) nonprofits. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy A donor-advised fund, or DAF, is a simple tax-saving vehicle for making charitable donations and has until now mostly been available from financial services firms like Fidelity, Schwab, and Vanguard. You get an immediate tax deduction for your donation (whether you're giving away cash, securities, or other assets) provided you itemize, and then divvy up grants of that money at a later date to a public charity. You can typically make donations for as little as $50 to a charity you select, depending on the firm. To write off donations in a given year, your total tax deductions need to exceed the standard deduction to be worthwhile. For 2025, the standard deduction is $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married couples filing jointly. One way to exceed that standard deduction threshold is to bunch together your contributions and give two years' worth of deductions in one year in a donor-advised fund. That way your total giving will be high enough to allow you to itemize. Learn more: Standard deduction vs. itemized: Which is right for you? 'We recommend donor-advised funds all the time — I think they are great even for folks who do not typically itemize on their tax returns because they can 'bundle' donations,' Ann Reilley, a certified financial planner in Charlotte, N.C., told Yahoo Finance. These funds, however, aren't top of mind for many Americans. 'Donor-advised funds have historically been inaccessible for most people, with high minimums and fees,' said Margaret Richardson, GoFundMe's chief marketing and corporate affairs officer. 'We're launching Giving Funds now because the future of giving depends on making generosity simpler.' With GoFundMe's DAF, there's no minimum amount to open an account and no transaction investment or management fees, per Richardson. Once you create your donor-advised fund on the platform, the account is managed by the GoFundMe Giving Fund with banking services provided by Goldman Sachs. Contributions can grow through investment options from BlackRock and Vanguard, according to Richardson. Donors, however, are encouraged to leave an optional "tip" for GoFundMe by granting money from their Giving Fund to a charitable cause. When you do add a tip, it goes toward helping sustain the funding operations and ensures the product remains accessible to everyone, per Richardson. At other firms, when you open a donor-advised fund, an opening balance of $5,000 to $25,000 is not uncommon. Vanguard Charitable, for example, requires a minimum initial contribution of $25,000 to open a donor-advised fund and subsequent contributions to an established account must be at least $5,000. At Fidelity Charitable, there's no minimum to open a donor-advised fund with cash, checks, and stocks — even cryptocurrency. The minimum grant amount is $50, and funds are charged an annual administrative fee of 0.60% or $100, whichever is greater. Investment fees range from 0.015% to 0.91%. You don't have to have gobs of money to create a donor-advised fund for your charitable giving. The median account at Fidelity Charitable is $23,534, and over half of its accounts have less than $25,000. You might donate stocks you have held for ages that have increased considerably in value during those years. If you donate securities that have appreciated in value, you won't owe the capital gains taxes that would be due if you sold the stock and donated the proceeds, and your deduction will be bigger this way too. Plus, you can invest the money for growth that is tax-free until you choose which charities you want to donate to. One reason these funds are starting to hit people's radar is that charitable giving has been on the rise. Last year, total donations by individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations to nonprofit organizations climbed 6.3% to a record $592.5 billion, according to the latest report from the Giving USA Foundation. Individual giving jumped by 8.2% to $392 billion. 'Donor-advised funds are the preferred and increasingly popular choice for individuals who want to give to charity effectively over time,' Elaine Kenig, chief communications officer at Vanguard Charitable, said. While the donor makes a decision about their desired grant recipients, the assets are invested in options made available to donors by the sponsoring organization, such as GoFundMe or Vanguard Charitable, and can grow tax-free, she said. 'This approach helps donors grow their charitable dollars and maximize the impact of their giving in the near- and long-term.'Your age, though, can be a factor in whether a donor-advised fund is your best route. If you're under 70 ½ and have highly appreciated securities and you itemize your taxes (rather than taking the standard deduction) then any amount is good for establishing a fund, Reilley said. But if you are 70 ½ or older and have pre-tax assets such as a traditional IRA, a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is the better way to go, she said. Learn more: 4 ways to save on taxes in retirement The QCD is available to IRA holders who are age 70 1⁄2 or older when the distribution is made, per the IRS rules. The transaction must be done by the end of the tax year. You can have your custodian or retirement plan administrator send the withdrawal directly to a qualified nonprofit, which keeps it off your individual tax return. These charitable distributions from your retirement accounts count toward your required minimum distribution (RMD), and you can exclude them from gross income up to $100,000 annually. One alert: 1099 Forms don't show that the distribution was donated to charity. As the IRA owner, you need to let your accountant know and make sure they don't include the distribution in income. Kerry Hannon is a Senior Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a career and retirement strategist and the author of 14 books, including the forthcoming "Retirement Bites: A Gen X Guide to Securing Your Financial Future," "In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in the New World of Work," and "Never Too Old to Get Rich." Follow her on Bluesky. Sign up for the Mind Your Money newsletter Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
