North Market to close temporarily then re-open ‘stronger, more resilient’

North Market file photo

By David Pierini, Editor

Pillsbury United Communities today announced redevelopment plans for a “North Market 2.0” with new operating partners and services that the organization hopes will bring greater financial stability to the Camden neighborhood food hub.

North Market will temporarily close Feb. 1 to make facility improvements. It will reopen in the second half of 2026, PUC said in a written statement. The store will operate from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in January.

North Market opened at 4414 Humboldt Ave. N., in 2017, and serves around 2,500 customers each week. The store brings fresh food to an area designated a food desert. It is also where residents gather for cardio and cooking classes, health fairs, and candidate forums.

As an independent grocery store, it struggled with competitive pricing amid rising costs and faced economic challenges that had shuttered other grocers operating from the same location.

"The grocery industry operates on extremely thin margins, often between 1–3%. Without the scale and purchasing leverage of large chains, North Market faced real challenges navigating volatility in wholesale food costs,” said Signe Harriday, Interim Head of Social Enterprises. “This transition allows us to build a stronger, more resilient model that meets today’s realities and tomorrow’s needs.”

The store also faced shifts in philanthropic giving that had helped it financially, as well as structural challenges during a global pandemic and, more recently, inflation and cuts to federal aid programs.

The hunger relief organization Second Harvest Heartland, philanthropic group Youthprise, and local entrepreneur Houston White, founder of The Get Down Coffee Co., are among the partners joining PUC to revamp the business model. PUC is also in talks with Hennepin County and other groups.

The PUC statement outlined a vision but few details. Harriday said planning among the partners and community engagement already is underway. PUC plans to hold town hall meetings to get input from residents and share more details for the new store model.

The goal for a revamped North Market, the statement read, is to provide more affordable groceries, create job training and career pathways for youth, expand North Market’s urban agriculture programming, and serve as a business incubator for BIPOC-owned food businesses, Harriday said.

PUC currently operates a food systems internship for high school students at North Market that includes a shipping container farm in the parking lot.

North Market employs 16 people, and staff will be laid off effective Jan. 31. Employees will receive “transition services” and are eligible for rehire across the organization.

“North Market 2.0 represents what’s possible when organizations come together around a shared vision for equity and impact,” said Anthony Washington, PUC’s Interim CEO and President. “We are honoring the legacy of North Market while boldly investing in its future.” 

 *Disclosure: North News is owned and operated by Pillsbury United Communities.