Since our Coop is not profit-driven, the interests of members come first. There are many types of cooperatives. The Flatbush Food Coop is a grocery store, and probably the most visible type of coop. The Flatbush Food Coop sells to everyone, not just members. Members get discounts of varying sizes, depending on whether they do work hours for the coop.
Some coops sell only to members.
The Flatbush Food Coop belongs to, and is a member of several cooperative distributorships. The coop movement is a growing one, as more and more people decide to take control of their lives and economic choices. The Maritime Provinces in Canada are an example of how far the coop movement can go. Cooperative consumer stores buy from cooperative wholesalers, are insured by a cooperative insurance company, and bank at coop credit unions. Members get the most buying power for their money, and the money stays in the community, contributing to its economic strength.