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MoCo Market closing; concept was 'too new' to work in Madison
Madison's "contemporary urban general store" is shutting its doors this week and auctiong off some of its supplies.
MoCo Market, at 804 Williamson St., will close Sunday. Owner Megan Ramey said money was a big factor, but she also wanted to join her husband, Kyle, in Boston, where he recently took a job.
"It was a big relief to peel off the Band-Aid," Ramey said. "Since December, when I've been out of been out money, I've been trying to figure out ways to keep the business running."
That included moving out of her Willy Street-area condo and earning money off it as a vacation rental and moving in with her sister.
"That was an instant cash injection for the business," Ramey said.
But it wasn't enough, Ramey said. She cited a couple reasons. One, she said, was the foot traffic and density on Williamson Street wasn't as heavy as she'd anticipated or was needed for the store. The other was a concept that didn't catch on enough to turn the necessary profit.
"When I opened, Rich (Ray) at Hempen Goods said, 'You're going to have to get people to cross the great divide," Ramey said. "In this neighborhood, bus traffic and foot traffic is on Jenifer Street, bike traffic is on the bike path and Willy Street runs right down the middle and is full of cars. It's the opposite of what I'm trying to do."
MoCo, which stood for "modern convenience, connection and community," opened in April 2007. It was the first Wisconsin shop to reach the Green Restaurant Association Standards.
Ramey's store was intended for pedestrians and people who live in the neighborhood, so they could walk to get the convenience items they need, have a beer, glass of wine or coffee or sit with their laptop. In addition to convenience items such as food or health and beauty products, MoCo stocked some music and gadgets.
The concept proved not to work in Madison, she said.
"It was too new," Ramey said of the concept. "All of my classmates in my Master's program said, 'You're going to have to cross the chasm.' "
A successful business crosses the chasm between early adopters and the mass market, and MoCo couldn't do that, Ramey said.
"Madison is mass market," Ramey said she learned. "It's not snobbery, it's just what it is. I'm a Madisonian, too."
The store's supplies -- including tables, refrigeration appliances and shelving -- are available on silent auction at the MoCo Web site.
"For the extra work, I'd love them to go to a good home," Ramey said.
MoCo will be open noon-6 p.m. this week, except on July 4, with deeply discounted products.
Ramey plans to pursue future work in sustainable business practices, brand innovation, urban planning or ecotourism.
"Never in retail," she said. "I'm leaving retail and food for good."
File photo
The Moco Market on Williamson Street will close Sunday.
