Walden Swanson

Picture
Walden Swanson
Organization
CDS Consulting Co-op

Walden Swanson has been involved with food co-ops since the early 1970s. He has managed both retails and wholesales and has worked extensively as a consultant with food co-ops. Walden currently manages CoCoFiSt (Common Cooperative Financial Statements), a project that compiles, analyzes and compares financial and operating data from co-ops around the country. The purpose of CoCoFiSt is to enable cooperatives to improve operations faster than the competition.

Author's Articles

Title Issue Datesort descending
Average Co-op and Natural Food Merchandiser 2001 Sales Trends

 

101 July - August - 2002 January 7, 2004

This is the second annual Cooperative Grocer Human Resources (HR) Survey report.

100 May - June - 2002 January 7, 2004
 

 

095 July - August - 2001 January 8, 2004

This is the first of an annual Cooperative Grocer Human Resources Survey report. The survey is designed to help co-ops evaluate their HR and compensation practices.

093 March - April - 2001 January 8, 2004

Want some good news? Co-op store productivity increased in the third quarter of 1998, when compared to the third quarter of 1997. (See Graph 1.)

081 March - April - 1999 January 8, 2004
This is the third in a series of articles based on Business Planning For Cooperatives, a manual published by Cooperative Development Services that provides step by step Inst
042 September - October - 1992 January 9, 2004
This article Is the second in a series on business planning, based on the how-to manual Business Planning for Cooperatives, by Cooperative Development Services.
040 May - June - 1992 January 9, 2004

Editor's note: This article is the first in a series of three articles on Business Plans for co-ops.

038 January - February - 1992 January 9, 2004

"Business plans may be great for bankers and investors, but if companies really followed them, you might never have heard of Compaq, Lotus, or Ben & Jerry's." This quote is from "The Best-Laid

010 April - May - 1987 January 9, 2004

Alert readers Joe Golton from Ashland Food Co-op and John Foley from Outpost Natural Foods Co-op found mistakes in the Return on Equity and the Return on Assets ratios in the Operations Report tabl

115 November - December - 2004 February 11, 2005

Cooperative Grocer 2000 Retail Operations Survey

Statistical Summary of Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Ratios

SMALL
095 July - August - 2001 May 31, 2006

We are pleased to present the new Retail Operations Survey, which reports double digit growth in co-op sales during the past year, along with higher than ever gross margins.

089 July - August - 2000 May 31, 2006