Anyone Belong to a Co-op Grocery Store?

[BPA]

Hamilton is opening its first co-op grocery store, and a friend of mine and I are thinking of joining.  It's not near my house.  It would be about 8 km from where we live (downhill all the way there, uphill...thanks Niagara Escarpment :)...all the way back), but would be doable by bike most months of the year. 

We both really like the co-op business model and buy in is only $100.

In addition to the ownership by employees/customers, it is looking to source local products and use fair trade practices.

Just curious to know people's experiences with belonging to co-op businesses particularly grocery stores.

Thanks.

[Worsted Skeins]

Yes, I have been a member of a co-op grocery store for a number of years although my co-op does not limit sales to members only.  The co-op was organized 25 years ago to allow people to buy items that were not readily available in traditional groceries--a scene that has changed over time.

What I love about my co-op is the ability to buy from bulk bins. Spices are much cheaper and I can buy small amounts if I only need a bit. 

Not everything that is sold at the co-op is necessarily less expensive, but I feel that the vibe around the place makes shopping very pleasant.  Co-op members can choose their level of involvement. Those who volunteer are given a discount on purchases. 

I sometimes fear that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's will bring the demise of my little co-op but it appears to be hanging in there.  I too like the model.

[BPA]

Yes, I have been a member of a co-op grocery store for a number of years although my co-op does not limit sales to members only.  The co-op was organized 25 years ago to allow people to buy items that were not readily available in traditional groceries--a scene that has changed over time.

What I love about my co-op is the ability to buy from bulk bins. Spices are much cheaper and I can buy small amounts if I only need a bit. 

Not everything that is sold at the co-op is necessarily less expensive, but I feel that the vibe around the place makes shopping very pleasant.  Co-op members can choose their level of involvement. Those who volunteer are given a discount on purchases. 

I sometimes fear that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's will bring the demise of my little co-op but it appears to be hanging in there.  I too like the model.

Thanks for your perspective.  The strange thing about Hamilton is that there is no real grocery store in the downtown core.  Box stores have effectively killed the downtown area, and I'm hoping that initiatives like these will revitalize downtown.  I live in the burbs because I work in the burbs, but have thought about moving back into the city when I retire and my son graduates from high school which should happen at about the same time.

[James]

We belong to a co-op in our small town and enjoy it.  It is a good deal for us both financially and nutritionally, it's good go the town to have groceries available downtown and not just at the big grocery store and Walmart, and it's good for the people who run the co-op and provide things you can't get elsewhere in town.


Regarding the co-op you are thinking of joining, do you know the details?  What are you getting for that $100?  Our buy-in was $10 a year membership fee for 5 years, which then transfers into lifetime membership.  In return I get a discount, I think it's around 5%, off the already good prices, and we are friends with the people who work there instead of just patrons.  We also order a lot of bulk organic foods (wheat, peanuts, whole wheat pasta, etc) at good prices.


$100 initial buy-in seems really steep.  What if you decide you don't like shopping there for some reason?  How much of a discount does that provide, is it worth it financially vs just purchasing as an outside buyer?  Might want to wait until you try it a few times before buying in, but then maybe your initial support of $100 will make sure they do a good job and succeed.  Just makes sure you do some research, and I suggest going to a co-op meeting just to see who you are working with and how things are being done.

[Worsted Skeins]

$100 initial buy-in seems really steep. 

It does.  I pay $30 a year, receive a small discount and then get a kickback at the end of the fiscal year.  James, your co-op is a bargain!

[sheepstache]

The Park Slope co-op charges $100 but it's just a deposit and you can have it back if you withdraw your membership in good standing.  And you can't shop there if you're not a member.  And you have to do volunteer workshifts, like, once every four weeks?  It was awhile ago.

I normally shop at cheap-o grocery stores so I had some lifestyle inflation to deal with the short time I was with a co-op.  Milk, figs, spices, all really good prices.  But then the meat was all fair trade cage free whatever so I couldn't afford it and had to make a second trip to a regular grocery for that.  And the cheap store brands I usually relied on, for like mac'n'cheese, weren't available because they only had the premium whole foods type stuff, like Annie's Organic Pasta Shells, which was a good price compared to a normal grocery store if you would have bought the Annie's anyway, but not if you normally would have bought the store brand.

FWIW I would hate the uphill all the way home thing.

For more info, here's Ryan Gosling: http://foodcoopheygirl.tumblr.com/

[BPA]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.  I will check out a meeting before signing up.

The $100 is refundable when you leave and it's a one time contribution, not yearly.  I like the idea of having a say in a democratically run business, and members are also given a 2.5% discount on food and discounts for other things (can't remember what off the top of my head).

[Worsted Skeins]

For more info, here's Ryan Gosling: http://foodcoopheygirl.tumblr.com/

That's a hoot!

The co-op is one part of the food equation for us.  We also belong to a spring/summer and fall CSA for veg and some fruit. 

[starfruit]

Most coop groceries will let you special order bulk quantities of pretty much anything they offer, so you might be able to get costco-like quantities and prices. And a Costco membership is $50/YEAR, so a one-time $100 is actually a good deal if you're in it for more than a few years and you can get comparable prices.

[Use it up, wear it out...]

The Park Slope co-op charges $100 but it's just a deposit and you can have it back if you withdraw your membership in good standing.  And you can't shop there if you're not a member.  And you have to do volunteer workshifts, like, once every four weeks?  It was awhile ago.

We're members of the Park Slope co-op. If you're buying that stuff anyway - and can do your work shift - it can be a very good deal. Rather than giving a discount (2-10%?) they just change the mark-up over wholesale. Basically, because they're NFP and most of the labor is provided by members, they only mark up a fixed 22% (or so) over wholesale, while most grocers mark-up 80-120%. Although some of their stuff is pretty high-end (we won't buy meat there, too expensive) they also have store-brand stuff for many more common items. The model works really well for us. We've kept a price list for awhile, and most things aren't cheaper at our local C-Town.


Right now, we're paying $1.15 / lb for local, minimally treated apples
$0.51 / lb for non-organic carrots

[yolfer]

I sometimes fear that Whole Foods and Trader Joe's will bring the demise of my little co-op but it appears to be hanging in there.  I too like the model.

I belong to a co-op that's literally across the street from a Trader Joe's (called "Central Co-op" in Seattle) and they seem to be doing fine :)

Members get 10% off one shopping trip per month, which has probably paid for the member fee already. I mostly use it for bulk bins, and hard-to-find health items. Also, admittedly, for convenience since it's a few blocks from my office.

[grantmeaname]

I shopped at our co-op here in Columbus once. I was way disappointed: the prices were terrible, even on bulk beans and flour; they stocked very little that wasn't crunchy-granola vegan food (somehow Morningstar GMO chicken nuggets are more ethical than free-range bison and beef from 15 miles away?); and the only interesting things they had that other places lacked were automagical herbal cures like St. John's Wort. That's three strikes and we haven't been back

Not to rain on everybody's parade or poop on everyone's party, but if I were you I wouldn't buy into it until you see whether it's great (like the co-ops of everybody who's posted so far), or a mediocre grungy expensive health-food nightmare (like mine). $100 is a lot of money to throw at a concept sight-unseen.

[StarswirlTheMustached]

There's nothing magical about co-ops, it is true.
I shop occasionally at the local food co-op here, but it's not really there for my benefit. I can buy into it and get a bit of a discount, but it's a farmer's cooperative, designed to help them get produce to market at a better price than the grocer's, and less time investment than the farmer's markets. On the plus side, my co-op DOES sell bison. Best. Stake. Ever.