Consumer and retail co-operatives This sector includes co-operatives formed to purchase and supply goods and services at competitive conditions in the interest of members (retailers or consumers). The sector also includes purchasing co-operatives established among firms to aggregate demand to obtain lower prices, in particular to reduce the cost of raw materials and energy. Overall, data was collected for 429 co-operatives distributed in 38 countries, with a total turnover in 2010 of 539.5 billion US dollars.
f.9 Co-operatives in the consumer and retail sector
15 the world co-operative monitor: Exploring the co-operative economy