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Purchasing Co-ops

Learn how purchasing co-ops are benefiting our economy and communities.

Purchasing co-ops are unique because they offer a competitive alternative to conventional businesses that operates on the interests of investors before communities. The most common purchasing co-op is organized where individual store owners are the members who collectively own a larger company together that provides them with scaled purchasing services. Purchasing co-op members are deeply tied to their local communities; ensuring that the people at the heart of the organization are always as important as the bottom line.

Purchasing co-ops have huge impact on the independent entreprenuers they serve.

Here is just one story from Carpet One Floor & Home.

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When independent business owners in the same industry come together, their success is multiplied. Formally known as purchasing and marketing cooperatives, these companies can grow to be retail giants generating annual revenues in the billions of dollars. But who owns, controls, and benefits in these businesses? Not outside investors. It is the local business owners running their independent locations who collectively own the bigger company, which unites them and allows them to benefit from shared success. Purchasing co-ops might look like another corporation, but they are not franchises or chains where the company is controlled from the top down. They are co-ops controlled from the bottom up, where the members who work hard to serve their local communities are at the heart of decision making and are always first to benefit from the company’s growth. These co-ops often offer their individual member businesses unique brands, marketing and social media tools, and training services. 

What is a Cooperative?

When a company is a purchasing co-op, the independent, local business owners are members who own and control the business democratically, through the one member, one vote principle. This empowers the group to work collectively in decision making that directly affects them. The members are also the sole shareholders and equitably share the profits of the business. In a world where more and more revenue is channeled outside of the local Main St. business community to outside investors, co-ops offer a sustainable alternative to help local economies thrive.

“Purchasing co-ops keep local community at the heart of their operations.”


Roughly 50,000 independent business owners are member-owners of purchasing cooperatives.
Over 750 purchasing co-ops exist in the United States.
For every $100 spent locally, $68 stays in your community, compared to only $43 that stays in your community through a conventional corporate chain. That's 16% more money in the local economy!


National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA
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What is INVESTED, BUILT, GROWN, MADE and SPENT with a co-op directly benefits the local community – make a bigger impact when you choose local co-ops.

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