Enjoy the archive of Cooperative Grocer magazine, with articles going back to 1985.

Use our full site search to look for articles by author, title, or topic. Our archive goes back to 1985!

Also available in the archives is LEADer, the NCG Governance Newsletter

    Title Issue Date
    Putting Your Best Foot Forward
    BY Rex Stewart, Chris Quinn

    The job of promoting your co-op encompasses everyone involved in the business. Employees, board members and even member/shoppers participate in marketing the co-op.

    		 014 December - January - 1988 January 9, 2004
    Signs Sell:
    BY Phil Ricord

    Once again an old adage holds true: "signs sell." Studies show that well-signed displays can increase sales by up to 400 percent!

    		 016 April - May - 1988 January 9, 2004
    Should Co-op Staff Serve As Directors?
    BY Karen Zimbelman

    The question of whether co~op employees should be allowed to serve as voting members of a board of directors is one that many food co-ops give serious consideration to and wrestle with.

    		 017 June - July - 1988 January 9, 2004
    Store Security
    BY Phil Ricord

    A previous article dealt with the threat to store security once the threat was in the door (Cooperative Grocer #12-13, Aug-Nov. 1987).

    		 015 February - March - 1988 January 9, 2004
    Understanding Audits
    BY Randy Lee

    Years ago, a few board members of our co-op felt the management had let things go to such a state that neither the board nor perhaps management had an adequate grip on what was going on.

    		 022 April - June - 1989 January 9, 2004
    The Board's Role in Expansion Planning
    BY Sharon Lake, Allison York

    At the beginning of 1986, New Pioneer Co-op in Iowa City was thriving.

    		 020 December - January - 1988 January 9, 2004
    Brattleboro Food Co-op: Coming of Age
    BY Connie Vial Green, Alex Gyori

    In 1988, its thirteenth year, the Brattleboro Food Co-op more than doubled its size, changed its membership structure, remodeled an entire store and changed locations.

    		 024 September - October - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Business Discounts for Co-op Members
    BY Tim Bernthal

    What's so special about co-op membership? Why should I pay money to shop at a store, and what benefits do I get that I wouldn't get anywhere else?

    		 021 February - March - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Co-op as Gift
    BY Dave Gutknecht

    I read a lot of co-op newsletters, and by a combination of scanning and close reading learn a lot from them.

    		 024 September - October - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Co-op Education is About Cooperatives
    BY Bob Schildgen

    Co-op education is one of the most crucial yet least understood elements of the cooperative food business and of co-ops in general.

    		 024 September - October - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Davis Food Co-op: Turnaround Tale
    BY David Thompson

    The Davis Food Co-op is having the best year in its 17 year history.

    		 022 April - June - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Operating a Deli for Fun and Profit
    BY Rochelle Prunty

    Our society's trend toward preparing fewer meals at home, combined with the rising popularity of natural foods and health consciousness, makes this a good time for natural foods retailers to develo

    		 024 September - October - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Director Compensation: A Review of Practices
    BY Karen Zimbelman

    This article is adapted from a previous Cooperative Grocer article by Karen Zimbelman and Margaret Goldstein.

    		 023 July - August - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Equipment Acquistion: New or Used?
    BY Phil Ricord

    Every store ends up looking for equipment, whether for a major remodeling and renovation or simply replacing aging physical assets.

    		 022 April - June - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Maintaining Store Equipment
    BY Phil Ricord

    		 023 July - August - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Growth Possibilities
    BY David Barry

    Many cooperatives are considering issues relating to substantial growth. This article is based on material originally written for members of the Boston Food Co-op.

    		 024 September - October - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Are You Ready?
    BY Karen Zimbelman

    There's not a lot of glamour in it. The "behind the scenes" work that goes into preparing for and planning board meetings may be tedious, time-consuming and very rarely acknowledged.

    		 021 February - March - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Cooperative Capital and Member Equity Systems: The Heart of Cooperatives
    BY Dave Gutknecht

    This section presents material intended to help readers active in the leadership of their cooperative to design and argue for an improved member equity system.

    		 025 November - December - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Member Labor:
    BY Gary Henderson

    If your co-op depends to any degree on member labor, you are naturally concerned about the effectiveness of that aspect of the co-op's operation.

    		 021 February - March - 1989 January 9, 2004
    Opportunity Knocks
    BY Dave Gutknecht

    This is a time of ever increasing awareness of food safety and the environmental damage being wrought by the dominant economic powers and their step child, petro-based agribusiness.

    		 023 July - August - 1989 January 9, 2004