At a time when grocery competition is fierce and tight customer budgets are hitting retailers of all sizes, two Twin Cities grocery cooperatives hope to merge.
The boards of River Market Community Co-op in Stillwater and Mississippi Market Co-op in St. Paul unveiled the proposal Tuesday, with members set to vote in September.
The boards cite the potential for expanded access to food — both suppliers and increased support for local farmers.
“A vote yes is a vote for a more resilient food system,” said Sara Morrison, general manager of River Market.
Roughly 25,000 members — shareholders who purchase a stake in the cooperative typically via a one-time fee — are eligible to vote on the proposal.
“Sara and I have a shared vision of how we can be stronger together and how that would make better stores, better communities, better staff experience and better pricing in some cases,” said Catherine Downey, CEO of Mississippi Market. “That shared vision really propelled us to keep thinking about what that could look like.”
Mississippi Market and River Market co-ops propose merger
By Mary Divine | August 12, 2025
The roughly 25,000 member-owners of the three St. Paul-based Mississippi Market Co-ops and Stillwater-based River Market Community Co-op will vote this fall on a plan to merge the two organizations.
If approved by co-op members, the merger would “enable the expansion of access to healthy food, increase support for local farmers and help build a more resilient, sustainable community-owned food system,” according to a statement the organizations posted on social media.
Among the benefits: Stronger sourcing and buying power, continued expansion of community programming and partnerships and greater operational resilience and staff investment, the statement read.
Mississippi Market and River Market have independently served the metro area for nearly 50 years with “shared values of local ownership, environmental sustainability, access to organic, high-quality food and democratic cooperation,” they stated.
River Market Community Co-op of Stillwater and Mississippi Market Co-op, two Twin Cities-based community-owned grocers, have announced a proposal to unify their organizations. If approved by co-op members this fall, the merger would enable the expansion of access to healthy food, increase support for local farmers, and help build a more resilient, sustainable community-owned food system. Members can learn more by visiting BetterTogether.coop.
“This is a future-focused move and empowers us to do more good — together,” said Sara Morrison, general manager of River Market Community Co-op. “By combining our resources and buying power, we can expand our positive impact while staying true to our values and cooperative mission. The River Market Board and I are proud to bring this proposal forward, and we encourage every member to learn more and vote ‘yes’ this fall.”
For nearly 50 years, River Market and Mississippi Market have independently served the Twin Cities with shared values of local ownership, environmental sustainability, access to high-quality organic food, and democratic cooperation. The organizations are collectively owned by roughly 25,000 members and operate four similarly sized stores.