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A consumers' cooperative is a business owned by its customers. Members vote on major decisions and elect the board of directors from among their own number. The first of these was set up in 1844 in the North-West of England by 28 weavers who wanted to sell food at a lower price than the local shops.
The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) was formed in 1895 [9] and National Cooperative Business Association founded in 1916. The post-WWII era experienced a decline in interest towards cooperatives in the economics profession, with much lower quality and quantity of the discussion on cooperatives in economics text books published after ...
Wireless Nomad was a non-profit cooperative based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada providing subscriber-owned home and business internet along with free Wi-Fi wireless Internet access the 70+ nodes, making it one of the largest free Wi-Fi networks in the country at the time.
The major difference between consumers' cooperatives and other forms of business is that the purpose of a consumers' cooperative association is to provide quality goods and services at the lowest cost to the consumer/owners rather than to sell goods and services at the highest price above cost that the consumer is willing to pay.
If the number of votes is based on the size of the business, there is a risk of all smaller businesses within the cooperative being outvoted by a larger business. A democratic solution that many retailers' cooperatives employ is an increase in votes based on business size, up to a certain point, say 5 or 10 votes.
In the 21st century, cooperatives continue to play a crucial role in various sectors, including health care reform debates and the establishment of worker cooperatives, in partnership with international cooperatives like the Mondragon Corporation. The National Cooperative Business Association lists over 29,000 cooperative businesses.
Cooperative members often engage in multiple contracts and projects over time, fostering ongoing partnerships. This can lead to additional business opportunities, repeat contracts, and a more stable revenue stream for businesses. The cooperative environment encourages relationship-building and the cultivation of sustainable business connections.
A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distributed to members in the form of "patronage" or "capital credits", which are dividends paid on a member's investment in the cooperative.