Brooklyn's Park Slope Food Coop, a touch of socialism in our country, has once again responded to the economic times and welcomed new members and be in a position to respond to the ever growing demand for quality food at decent, low, prices.
This Coop is the largest in the United States. In the current period, the membership has grown to 13,768, up 20% from the previous year. And, in terms of Gross Sales, the numbers are equally impressive. Gross sales were $35 million a year, up from $30 million.
There are a number of reasons given for this increase. The Coop's newsletter, Linewaters' Gazette credits a new system of debit utilization that made the check far easier. That is definitely true; and it wasn't easy.
The Coop expanded its premises a few years ago to accommodate the growing demands for membership.
The unique feature of this Coop is that every, yes, every member must work 2 hours and 45 minutes each month to fulfill their commitment. This system works amazingly smoothly. There is a child care center that also works perfectly.
But, the great aspect of the Coop is that members can buy quality ORGANIC foods at prices that cannot be equaled anywhere. With the growing understanding of need for foods without dangerous additives, this Coop makes them available at reasonable prices.
Who are the members: Just about every nationality, religion, race and anyone else who you normally see on the streets of Brooklyn and NYC shops and works at the COOP.
Why the great increase? Clearly, the economic crisis that working people are facing is one of the main reasons for these dramatic increases. Fortunately, the Coop is available and it will probably continue to grow.
For more information on how these kinds of Coops can be constructed go to the Coop website: www.foodcoop.com.
