The Climb May 2026

The Numbers

Ever so quietly, May 2026 turned out to be the best month of the year so far, delivering the second highest monthly revenue since opening. If there was one word to describe May, it would be consistent. Although weekly sales topped out at $33,000, no week dipped below $30,000 as they have in previous months.

May sales were up 9% over April (+4% when comparing 30 days). Let’s get into it.

The Why

1. The month got off to a great start with a big Friday, May 1 sales day, thanks to two large catering orders and a produce buy from a local pantry. While three transactions accounted for approximately 30% of the day’s revenue, strong foot traffic and customer spending contributed heavily.
2. Holidays were kind to us. Mother’s Day and Memorial Day gave us above average Saturday and Monday sales on May 9 and May 25, respectively.
3. The biggest driver of May sales growth was a significant increase in customers. Over 500 more transactions occurred in May versus April. The average daily customers increased 4.6% from 213 to 223.

Why did we have more customers?

• Seasonality plays a role in grocery shopping. Better weather brings more people out of the house and into stores. Forty Acres is seeing normal industry wide increases.
• Sampling leads to sales. In May we leaned into tastings and product demos in store. We welcomed the moms on Mother’s Day with charcuterie and lemonade samples. The Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day our vendors gave free samples of everything from beer to granola to spices.
• We worked the windows. Every week we changed out 2-3 posters with updated weekly sales in staple categories like meat, milk, and bottled water.

The Plan

Intro to the plan

Solely focusing on traffic is not getting the results we want. It also puts all of the onus on marketing to get people into the store and does not focus enough on what happens once they are there. Bottom line: we have to sell more. 

1. The first part of selling is having what people want. Yes, you can do your entire shop at Forty Acres Fresh Market. However, there are a few key items that we are missing.
   • If we had a nickel for every time someone someone inquired about Walkerswood jerk seasoning, we would have surpassed our annual revenue goal before the new year.
     • While we love our current distributors, they do not carry this brand. Hunting it down has been a saga that included multiple calls to Jamaica. Luckily, we finally found a source and should be bringing it in before Memorial Day.
   • Chicagoans love their Italian Beef and it turns out that the only acceptable carrier for said meat is a French roll…and right now, Forty Acres does not have them in stock.
     • With all of the bread products they sell us, none of our suppliers carry French rolls. We are closing in on a Michigan based brand and hope to have it on shelf before the end of the month. In the meantime we brought in hoagie buns. Is that an acceptable substitute?
2. Forty Acres’ biggest competition is not other grocery stores. It is inertia. Even when it is less convenient, it is easier for people to continue doing what they have always done. Our job is to create a strong enough pull to get potential customers to do something different. To that end we are leaning into one-time events to make today the day you choose Forty Acres Fresh Market.
   • You may have seen our recent 99¢ Wing Wednesday promotion. Born out of the need to move through excess chicken inventory, it created a sense of urgency to visit the store on a specific day. This Sunday’s Mother’s Day event has a similar intent.
   • We will be announcing more in-store events through the spring and into the summer. 
3. It is time to change the narrative. Whether we like it or not, the data says that Forty Acres Fresh Market is performing like a convenience store. We have many regular customers who shop with us for a couple of items at a time, yet never do a full grocery shop. In fact, some still have yet to walk through the entire store.
   • We need to capture more of their grocery spend. Messaging that drives home the point that they can shop for an entire meal at Forty Acres needs to be prominent in store. Meal solutions build basket size and more items in the basket means more sales.
4. Make a list of lists. We are not yet regularly getting our marketing content out to neighborhood newsletters and email blasts. This is an organization issue on our part as we need to better track who is sending what when and get our materials to them in a timely fashion. It is critical to get our weekly ads and flyers on other organizations’ email lists and newsletters. The more places people see Forty Acres Fresh Market, the more often they are reminded about the store’s existence. Exposure is a key component of the decision process for where to shop.
5. Still working on getting the store on senior shuttle routes. We have one building on board and only need to set up the schedule in order to get started.
6. We updated our window signs with more timely messaging. Some signs are evergreen (meaning that the information will not become obsolete), like “Now Selling Beer, Wine, & Spirits”. 

Wondering what you can do? 

1. First and foremost, you can shop with us. Consistently shopping at Forty Acres for trips big and small is the easiest and best way to play a part in our success. 
2. Want to get your steps in? Help us pass out flyers and door hangers in the neighborhood. Do you work within a mile of the store? Take a few flyers to the office and encourage your coworkers to come by for lunch.
3. Write us a Google review (we prefer the 5 star variety) and describe your shopping experience. 
4. If you are on social media, post about your shopping trip, any unique products or brands you found at Forty Acres, and the savings you unlocked. Be sure to tag us so we can share it on our socials. Equally, helpful is to follow Forty Acres Fresh Market on Facebook, IG, and TikTok and interact with our posts. Like, comment, and share.
5. Do you send regular emails or newsletters for a group you’re in? Include our flyer (pictured below) in your regular communications. 

Tune in soon to see June’s results.