# INFRA (Independent Natural Food Retailers Association)

> INFRA, the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association, is a member-owned purchasing cooperative that pools the buying power of independent natural and organic grocers so they can negotiate like a chain while staying local. Founded in 2005 and based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, INFRA now unites more than 400 members running over 650 storefronts, representing roughly $3.4 billion in retail sales. Beyond bulk deals, it offers promotional programs, data dashboards, a private-label wellness line, field support, and a peer network - all aimed at helping independents survive against national chains.

- **Founded:** 2005
- **Headquarters:** Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States
- **Founders:** Corinne Shindelar (Founding CEO), Earth Fare (Founding Retailer), New Frontiers Natural Marketplace (Founding Retailer), New Leaf Community Markets (Founding Retailer), Jimbo's (Founding Retailer)
- **Team size:** Association staff supporting members; data sources list up to ~810 associated employees (figure likely includes broader member network)
- **Products:** Collective Purchasing / Promotional Programs, Operational Support & Field Services, Member Data Dashboards, The Good Collective, Peer Network, Events & Annual Conference
- **Notable:** Grew from 4 founding retailers in 2005 to 400+ members and 650+ storefronts across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico, Certified B Corporation with a B Impact score of 85.0, Members represented roughly $3.4 billion in retail sales in 2025

## Products & services

- **Collective Purchasing / Promotional Programs** — Aggregated buying power and negotiated agreements with major distributors (UNFI, KeHE, and others) plus promotional programs that lift sales, improve price perception, and cut operating costs for member stores.
- **Operational Support & Field Services** — Expert guidance and a personalized field-support model covering store operations, merchandising, margins, and retail best practices.
- **Member Data Dashboards** — Sales and margin analytics dashboards that give independent retailers chain-grade data connectivity to benchmark and improve performance.
- **The Good Collective** — INFRA's first private-label wellness brand, exclusive to members - supplements, hair care, body care and wellness essentials in a good/better/best value tier, launching with 27 products and expanding.
- **Peer Network, Events & Annual Conference** — Curated events, online forums and an annual conference connecting like-minded independent retailers for peer sharing and education.

## Achievements

- Grew from 4 founding retailers in 2005 to 400+ members and 650+ storefronts across all 50 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico
- Certified B Corporation with a B Impact score of 85.0
- Members represented roughly $3.4 billion in retail sales in 2025
- Outperformed the natural channel for 27 consecutive months
- Launched The Good Collective, its first member-exclusive private-label wellness brand
- Founding member of the IX-ONE product data exchange

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — INFRA surpassed 400 member stores in more than 650 communities and reported $3.4B in representative member sales for 2025, with a goal of reaching 1,000 communities by 2028.
- **2025-01** — Celebrated its 20th anniversary alongside continued B Corp certification.
- **2024-06** — Launched The Good Collective private-label wellness brand and rolled out member data dashboards and an evolved field-support model.
- **2024-01** — Partnered with Denali to bring food-waste recycling to natural and organic grocers.

## Links

- Website: https://www.naturalfoodretailers.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infra-independent-natural-food-retailers-association
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/infretailers
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infretailers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/infretailers/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/infra
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-12