Consumer cooperatives: purpose and possibilities

Consumer cooperatives exist around the globe and allow consumers to more easily access the goods and services they want. This chapter provides an overview of the prevalence, history, and function of consumer cooperatives; a summary of existing literature; and a discussion of opportunities for additional research. We find consumer cooperatives are largely understudied in the academic literature, particularly in applied economics. We encourage additional research to help inform consumer cooperative development efforts and make this business model more accessible to contemporary consumers who are looking for an alternative to investor-owned business models and opportunities for economic justice and empowerment.