WIMBLEDON COMMUNITY GROCERY

Increasing numbers of rural communities find themselves without a reliable healthy food source which in turn causes the decline of the community. To drive 30 miles of more for food, other than gas station convenience store items, is impossible for some and inconvenient for others. High operating costs, narrow profit margins, and affordable satisfactory labor are sited in the ND Rural Grocers 2015 survey are some of the major issues facing small groceries and causing a rising number of closures. This partially caused the sale of the privately owned Wimbledon grocery to BSG, Inc., a for profit corporation owned by stockholders in 2006. The purpose was to provide a grocery and cafe for the community and surrounding area. After 6 years operating the business had not turned a profit and BSG voted to turn over the remaining asset s to Wimbledon Grocery when the members of the non-profit corporation obtained a 501 (C)(3) exemption status. The non-profit corp operates the full service grocery.