CO-OPS 101

A co-op is a business owned and operated by and for its members

Co-ops aren't owned by a single individual or speculative investors. We're based on shared ownership by people who have a personal stake in the business and its impact: Consumers who own the store they buy from, workers who own the business they work for, farmers who own the company that gets their products to market, or a combination of stakeholders. Co-ops are a powerful economic alternative, one that acknowledges our interconnectedness and leverages our shared resources.

Central Co-op is a solidarity cooperative with both consumer and worker ownership. Solidarity co-ops are one way that connected groups of stakeholders can work together for their common good.

• More about Central Co-op's solidarity structure

 

Co-ops act to fulfill their members' needs and put their values into action

While co-ops are for-profit, we're not just here to turn a buck. We operate to serve our members, and we follow cooperative values and principles. As envisioned by the Rochdale Pioneers, who spearheaded the modern cooperative movement, co-ops should embody the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. 

• Learn about Central Co-op’s Twelve Principles
• Get the numbers of Central Co-op’s exceptional impact on our community

 

Central Co-op is part of a global movement of cooperatives

There are over 2.6 million co-ops in the world, employing 250 million workers and owned by around one billion members. Cooperation helps communities meet local needs and have more control over their resources, like food, healthcare, housing, equipment, access to markets, and their own labor. Cooperatives nurture a long-term vision for sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental responsibility.

• Get a global perspective on co-ops from the International Cooperative Alliance.