COOP pet stores

[Poustic]

Is there such thing?

[Shouganai]

There is a pet food co-op in Sandy Hill on Wilbrod, but thankfully I don't think they carry animals (if only more pet stores were like that!).

I am not sure what they carry.. all I get from them is very reasonably priced high-quality cat food and litter.. and I've never been in the store, because I can just call them and they deliver!

[Poustic]

Wouldn't it be nice to have something like MEC, but for fish.  There must be a good reason why there isn't one already.

[luvfishies]

You mean like Co-Op feed stores? I know that some of them carry Koi pellets and stuff like that.

[kennyman]

Not that I dont support the idea, but I dont see any difference to having a Big All's VIP card and a MEC card. Actualy I get more from the VIP card

[Poustic]

To me, the main difference is "non-profit and owned/driven by members", vs "profit-based and driven by owners/shareholders".  For instance, you could have member-oriented policies like giving "extras" to employees based on knowledge or member feedback to keep qualified staff longer, or making less-known fish or plants available, or giving priority to educating customers as opposed to increasing sales.  Sounds idealistic, so was wondering if it has been done.

[zapisto]

co-op is not a non-profit entitity.
co-op literaly is a group of people (physical or not) who put ressources together to something common to them.

the market is not big enough to maintain a such structure viable in long term.

just my 2cents

[Poustic]

co-op is not a non-profit entitity.
co-op literaly is a group of people (physical or not) who put ressources together to something common to them.

I guess a co-operative can be whatever its founding members want it to be.  I'm no fiscal expert, but to me, a typical co-op would not be profit-oriented, and every member is part owner and elects a Board of directors.  MEC for example does not seek to earn a profit.

I am just curious to find out if that has actually been tried somewhere before, since it seems as though it could provide a different approach to fishkeeping than what we are used to.

[kennyman]

MEC reinvests profit into its industry. It owns alot of stuff besides just the stores. You can see on their page where they mention factiores and such. How do you think they get the money for new stores? If MEC was truely all about not making money why can I buy stuff at Bushtuhka down the road, just as good and in the same price range?

MEC probly has a blalanced revinue minus expences with an X% profit margine buit in the ballance sheet. That would allow them to hang onto the profit for future expansion, building maintainence, purchaces of more industrial assets ect . . .

I have a mec card, so I'm technicly a member of MEC's Co-op but I buy mosr of my portaging equipment elsewhere. It seems the profit oriented stores have better deals  I worked for the Agri-West Farmers Co-op and they also would have reinvested any profit if they had ever made any.

[Poustic]

MEC reinvests profit into its industry. It owns alot of stuff besides just the stores. You can see on their page where they mention factiores and such. How do you think they get the money for new stores? If MEC was truely all about not making money why can I buy stuff at Bushtuhka down the road, just as good and in the same price range?

MEC probly has a blalanced revinue minus expences with an X% profit margine buit in the ballance sheet. That would allow them to hang onto the profit for future expansion, building maintainence, purchaces of more industrial assets ect . . .

I have a mec card, so I'm technicly a member of MEC's Co-op but I buy mosr of my portaging equipment elsewhere. It seems the profit oriented stores have better deals  I worked for the Agri-West Farmers Co-op and they also would have reinvested any profit if they had ever made any.

As I see it, MEC does make money, but mainly for the benefit of the members and community (i.e. spending goes into making and/or carrying more products, opening stores in more cities, building stores out of recycled material, using biodegradable shopping bags, etc.).  It might be naive, but my point is a co-op profits to itself as a group, and there is no store "owner" or group of shareholders who try to boost sales at all cost for their own pockets even if it means lowering quality or reducing staff.  So back to the fish topic, you could have, for example, a fish equipment COOP (FEC!), that decides its own policies for redistributing its profit into hiring more staff, opening new stores when needed, carrying different species, and perhaps even carrying its own home brand for some drygoods.

[Poustic]

An explanation of the concept:
http://www.mn-aquarium.org/masart49.htm