In the past, consumer co-operatives were needed in various places, this is because the shops were located some distance away, agricultural products were seasonal or limited, money was scarce (so it was essential to buy carefully or trade your skills for products. and services) and many families were large and lived under the same roof.
Today's world is different: food prices have risen and the costs of buying or renting a home have increased, prompting more families to live together. Furthermore, a certain interest in fresh and quality agricultural products has been recovered. On a social level, greater importance is given to ethically and environmentally acceptable methods of growing food. For all these reasons, the interest in forming consumer cooperatives has grown.
Collaborating in the purchase of food saves time and money. It is also a good way to build lasting friendships and have fun around the markets. Successful co-ops are built on trust, respect and research, so it's best to create one with care, choosing the right people. Some may have problems, because people can be pedantic or quarrelsome. Consequently, it is advisable to limit access to those who know how to work as a team.
This article focuses on the factors to consider before starting and how to maintain a cooperative.
Steps
Step 1. Do your research before you begin
There are so many things you should consider before starting, so it's wise to do the math and consider the potential benefits. Here are some factors to look into: Are you good at making a cost estimate? People who can memorize store amounts or who have a mental image of what a good price would be have an advantage, because they already know what prices to compare with and can understand when they have the opportunity to get a good deal. why do you want to organize a cooperative? In theory you should ask yourself why you are going to start it. This will help you determine some guidelines for your plan. Is it to save money? To get involved in the community? To buy zero-kilometer products and reduce greenhouse gas emissions? To support the local farming community? To obtain fresh and quality products? To avoid the chaos of large shopping centers? Everyone has their own reasons, and keeping them in mind ensures that you don't cross the boundaries set for yourself. Are there markets nearby? Find out about the presence of independent agricultural markets or supermarkets in your area. You could do an online search, get in touch with the city hall, or ask around. Better if it comes to agricultural markets, so you can get better deals because you can pull up the price. If the market in your city has a website or an online price list, read everything carefully. Do you like to go shopping? It's best to go to the market and explore it before setting up a co-op. Get to know the sellers and find out what types of products are available. This is a key stage, because it is in this moment that you understand whether it is feasible or not. In case it wasn't, you won't have wasted a trip, you will have had a great experience. You know several sellers who offer the same products, so you can compare prices and quality and know where it is best for you to buy. Estimate the total amount you would spend at the grocery store or the place where you usually shop. Then, take note of any potential discounts on bulk purchases for the purpose of comparing different prices. In some countries the markets offer quality and low prices, while in others they are a tourist trap and sell the leftovers of the harvest after the supermarkets have grabbed the best. Some are even slightly elitist, so they sell agricultural products at much higher prices than supermarkets, unjustified. Some markets are extraordinarily cheap in some respects, but they can also offer products with average prices. Does the market sell products other than food? With the recovery of the trend of agricultural markets in many countries and cities, different types of goods are often sold. In fact, you may find other useful and quality items, such as preserves, soaps and other handicrafts, meat, baked goods, cheeses, wines, personal and household hygiene products (such as soaps, detergents, etc.), antiques and so on; in short, there are various interesting stalls or shops. Often this phenomenon occurs because the sellers know that people go to the market with money in their pockets. Do you know enough people who are willing to start a cooperative? Find a compromise. The more members there are, the larger the vehicle you will need, but too small a group may not allow anyone to do good business or be profitable. Theoretically, the cooperative should consist of 5-10 families, which usually means that 2 or 3 vehicles are needed to transport everything. However, if you think about it, 3 vehicles are preferable to 10 direct all in the same place, so the environmental impact will be lower. Is there a home delivery service offered? It's rare, but if it's a big market you might be lucky. Instead, owners of smaller shops or stalls are unlikely to offer it. Is there no market in your area and you are forced to shop in a large supermarket chain or at the mall? You certainly won't have the pleasure of meeting the grower, but you can save time and money by forming a cooperative anyway and comparing the larger stores. The other advantage is that you can easily get the price list, so you can choose in advance what you will buy in bulk; and many offer home delivery services. Are the cooperative members reliable? You don't want to expand your group in order to save a little more if having a bigger co-op means you are spending more money or having more management problems. Most co-ops fail when members can't trust the person who does the shopping for everyone, when the standard is thought to be low, when common sense is neglected, or when it gets complicated. Respect must be cultivated by everyone, therefore, if the purchase method is not accepted by every member and followed to the letter, the cooperative runs the risk of dissolving sooner or later.
Step 2. Plan the organization of the cooperative and the roles that people will assume
It could be made up of family, friends, neighbors, or co-workers. Before creating one, meet and go to the market together to get an idea and so that everyone can make suggestions. Try to invite people you get along with so that less work will be done. Here are the other factors to consider:
- Plan on who will go to market and when. Ideally, you should go there early in the morning, once a week. This is the most practical method. You might just have one person to do the job or set up shifts. The latter solution is the most desirable, because each member will be able to understand how to shop in the most effective way. In addition, you will be sure to receive good quality products, because everyone will know what is being sold on the market and together you can determine what you prefer. If, on the other hand, only one person takes on the job, for example because he lives near the market and therefore it is better for him to take care of it to save on fuel, the rest of the cooperative should reward him in some way, because he does something more than the others.. It is best to entrust the task to a person who lives close to the market, especially if the rest of the group lives much further away. To reduce gasoline costs, it is preferable that only a few people go to the market at a time. While inviting more people into the vehicle has its advantages because the buying process will be faster (one person could go to buy bread, another fruit, still another milk and cheese, etc.) on the other hand, having more members in the car will take up more space, and this space must be reserved for the goods you purchase.
- Collect your shopping lists on time. It is often more practical and easier to group items from individual lists before going shopping, but don't lose them. Maybe you only need two tomatoes a week, while in total the other members want 30. Buying 32 and then splitting them back home is much cheaper and allows you to benefit from buying in bulk.
- Develop some basic rules and methods about how to choose fruit and vegetables before weighing and buying them. For example, it is necessary to have a basic rule when a person specifies a certain weight (such as 500g of pumpkin). If they sell cut fruit and vegetables, that's no problem. If not, it would be wiser to explain to everyone that it is not possible to be exact, and therefore the option closest to their needs will be chosen. The other rules should cover how the food will be handled, so that it is not spoiled, and the method in which people who shop can contact another member if the product he requested is not available (to know what to replace it with).
- Discuss the question of money. Ideally, members should pay a week in advance. If everything is recorded in a register, then everyone will know how much they spend, whether it would be better to save on certain products and how to update the shopping list. This strategy is very practical because the buyer will have the money immediately on hand and will not have to use his savings. For some, this method may be annoying, so it is best to make a pact to understand what the majority prefer.
- Get some equipment to transport everything in the best way. Portable refrigerators and cool bags are perfect for all foods, especially fresh ones, such as dairy products, and frozen foods. They can be bought at a hypermarket, camping or fishing store, and online. You can also set aside cardboard boxes or ask members to collect a plastic tub for the purpose of placing items in the car.
- Plan how you will shop based on your organization. If you want to buy fresh or frozen products first, ask the seller to put them aside after paying for them so that you can buy the other items in the meantime. In this way, everything will be kept at the ideal temperature and consuming these foods will be safer. Theoretically, you should plan on buying items that are snapped up right away; fruit and vegetables are an example of this, because in many cases they are the first to vanish from the shelves. Go to the car often to tidy up your purchases, so you will move lightly and protect the products from heat and strong lights.
- Consider how you distribute your purchases. You can set a specific day, so after shopping, you will all meet in a park for lunch or a picnic. Another idea is to find yourself at someone's house, or everyone could go to the people who did the shopping that particular week. The solutions are various, so evaluate the one that's right for you.
Step 3. Go shopping
At the market, try to build honest friendships with sellers, but this isn't difficult if you become a regular customer. If possible or appropriate, ask them for suggestions. Not only are they more experienced in understanding which products are of good quality, they know which items are the best or fresh in season, and will be able to give advice on cooking and serving them. A friendship could lead you to the ability to reserve products and / or have them delivered to your home. Some more formal co-ops have business cards and hand them out to vendors, so they show up right away. Having a ticket is useful when special prices are negotiated with only one member, but then you alternate to do the shopping; in this way, every person who goes to the market will be able to receive the same treatment. Modern and more organized cooperatives collect the e-mail addresses of their favorite sellers and send shopping lists to reserve what they want to buy. This way, they will be able to quickly pick up what they have ordered, without too many turns. It also saves time if members require certain weights: the seller will take care of everything and prepare the bags and boxes, ready to be taken away. This is an excellent method when co-op members don't have much time to shop for others. However, it is useful to keep in mind that you have to personally see the sellers from time to time, because otherwise you run the risk of losing this friendship and relaxed atmosphere, turning it all into a cold transaction. When you take the time to meet the vendors, you can learn more, get higher quality products and have more interactions. If you go early in the morning, before the market fills up with people, you will have a better chance to talk to them and ask. suggestions. It is best not to open a credit account for the cooperative, unless you are a registered and well organized group. Let's take an example: the cooperative is made up of you and your neighbors; at one point, two people argue with each other and one does everything to take revenge on the other. What happen? All members are at a disadvantage. Never try to force sellers to give you a discount, but pay attention to the best deals. It is wise to remember that the work of others must be respected. Sometimes it pays to pay a little more to get better quality products, sometimes you can ask if they will sell you, for example, 12 units for the price of 10, other times it is still not feasible to ask for a discount or it is not justifiable to pay more. Make an effort to follow the same quality standards, so that all members benefit.
Step 4. Take the shopping home and divide it up
It's usually a good idea to do this before calling members so they can pick up their products on the fly. Some people often want to compare one box to another to see if they are getting the same types of products. If you decide to give everyone the option to select from a variety of products, people will often want to trade, take home more things than they originally ordered or get difficult, so it's best to avoid the problem by setting ground rules.. It is very practical to put the boxes and thermal containers aside and put a label on them to know whose they are. This way, everyone will have a box and will be able to locate their order immediately. As for frozen or fresh foods, it is advisable to recycle plastic bottles (such as those for soft drinks), fill them with water and leave them in the freezer the night before going shopping; you will use them to keep these foods cold. More fragile or delicate items should be placed in the upper part of the boxes. However, if members provide old towels or other items that can act as a buffer to protect these assets, then you can be sure that the quality will remain optimal. Let everyone know when they should pick up their groceries from your home (or drop by to drop off if they live nearby). This is how the work will end.
Step 5. To make the most of this experience and make it last a long time, consider additional ways to make things easier
There are many examples, but it pays to develop new plans as time goes by. You could create an email list to be able to contact members quickly, that way they will all be up to date. You can share important news. For example, when a member discovers a special offer or finds bargains for certain items, others will also be able to purchase them in time. You will have the opportunity to send you reminders about the availability and expiration of offers or the date when you need the shopping lists and the money should be ready. Regularly weigh the benefits of the co-op and decide how to solve small problems before they become huge. Consider whether it is a good idea to expand and don't let the personal or emotional factor interfere when a difficulty arises. Consider ways in which members could support themselves within the group. For example, if a member has space to raise chickens or likes to make jams, preserves or baked goods, then they could sell their goods to the group. Or, a member could always shop and pay for gas, but those costs will be subtracted from their grocery list. It is best to balance everyone's contributions, so that everything is fair and the burden of running the cooperative does not fall on the shoulders of one person. Nobody should work harder than others. Making contributions to the group will be good for everyone's pockets and the environment, and may encourage others to get involved with their community.
