The study of retail and consumption geographies has become increasingly popular areas of research in the broader discipline of geography over the last decade. Research has covered many aspects of retailing structure and practice, including retailing formats, shopping patterns and consumer identities. However, consumer co-operatives and their members as of yet have not been studied in geography, which is interesting given their considerable presence in the retailing environment. The success of consumer co-operatives in the retailing landscape hinges on the loyalty and economic participation of their members. Their loyalty in the co-operative may in turn be influenced by their identification with the organization. This can pose both challenges and opportunities for co-operatives to succeed in the face of strong retailing competition. <p>This research is thus an attempt to examine the membership identities of co-operative members, and how this influences their consumer behaviour. To this end, self-administered questionnaires were distributed among members and non-members who patronized the Calgary Co-operative Association. They were asked about aspects of the consumer behaviour, shopping preferences, and identification with the co-operative. It was found that overall, members and non-members did not differ in their consumer behaviour. They traveled the same distances, showed the same levels of shopping loyalty at the Co-op, and had the same preferences for the ideal shopping environment. The greater difference however, lay within the membership. When members were disaggregated based on their levels of identification with the Co-op, it was found that members who more highly identified with the Co-op exhibited more loyal shopping behaviour with the Co-op, and those that had a lesser identification with the Co-op exhibited lower shopping loyalty to the Co-op. This has implications for further research on consumer identities with different retailing formats, co-operatives in other areas, and further adds to the growing body of research in geographies of retailing and consumption and co-operative studies.

The study of retail and consumption geographies has become increasingly popular areas of research in the broader discipline of geography over the last decade. Research has covered many aspects of retailing structure and practice, including retailing formats, shopping patterns and consumer identities. However, consumer co-operatives and their members as of yet have not been studied in geography, which is interesting given their considerable presence in the retailing environment. The success of consumer co-operatives in the retailing landscape hinges on the loyalty and economic participation of their members. Their loyalty in the co-operative may in turn be influenced by their identification with the organization. This can pose both challenges and opportunities for co-operatives to succeed in the face of strong retailing competition. <p>This research is thus an attempt to examine the membership identities of co-operative members, and how this influences their consumer behaviour. To this end, self-administered questionnaires were distributed among members and non-members who patronized the Calgary Co-operative Association. They were asked about aspects of the consumer behaviour, shopping preferences, and identification with the co-operative. It was found that overall, members and non-members did not differ in their consumer behaviour. They traveled the same distances, showed the same levels of shopping loyalty at the Co-op, and had the same preferences for the ideal shopping environment. The greater difference however, lay within the membership. When members were disaggregated based on their levels of identification with the Co-op, it was found that members who more highly identified with the Co-op exhibited more loyal shopping behaviour with the Co-op, and those that had a lesser identification with the Co-op exhibited lower shopping loyalty to the Co-op. This has implications for further research on consumer identities with different retailing formats, co-operatives in other areas, and further adds to the growing body of research in geographies of retailing and consumption and co-operative studies.

Most part of non-profit organizations, like co-operative associations, are not making use of the management science for a better development of their strategies. From a case study, this dissertation presents an analysis of the marketing strategies used by "Cooperativa dos Estudantes de Santa Maria - CESMA". To manage the research, the Marketing Mix 4 Ps Model was used- product, price, place (distributions) and promotion - what allowed to relate the co-operative association CUf rent strategies, to identify its weakest and strongest topics and the effectiveness and differences between the board' s practice and the needs of the associates. The results of the work indicate that the associates' needs lead to the acquisition of technology, such as computers, accessories and technical instruments (product), that the most important strategy is the lowest price practice (price), that the co-operative must optimize its order and delivery services, linking to the intemet (distribution) and that the communication channels are not satisfactory (promotion). / A maioria das instituições sem fins lucrativos, entre as quais cooperativas de serviços, ainda não utilizam instrumentos das ciências administrativas para uma gestão mais eficiente. A partir de um estudo de caso desenvolvido na Cooperativa dos Estudantes de Santa Maria, este trabalho apresenta uma análise das estratégias de marketing utilizadas em cooperativas. Para direcionar a investigação, foi utilizada a classificação dos 4Ps do composto de marketing-produto, preço, praça e promoção- o que permitiu relacionar as estratégias atuais da coperativa, identificar seus pontos fracos e fortes e apontar a efetividade e as diferenças entre a prática dos gestores e as necessidades e preferências dos associados da cooperativa. Os resultados do trabalho identificaram que as necessidades dos consumidores estão dirigidas à aquisição de tecnologia, isto é, computadores, acessórios de informática e material técnico (Produto), que a estratégia mais importante é a prática do menor preço possível (Preço), que a cooperativa deve otimizar seus serviços de encomenda e entrega, integrando-se à internet (Praça) e que os canais de comunicação são deficientes (Promoção).

This study was made to show the economic growth of the rural area served by the Cooke County Electric Co-Operative association, as well as its history. Locally, the Cooke County Electric Co-operative Association owes a large part of its success to the ability of the rural people to help themselves. In this thinly populated section of the country they have built a successful business where established power companies claimed that it would be impossible. Although the number of farmers continues to decrease, the demand for power continues to increase. The members of the Cooke County Co-operative are proud of their co-operative and are always happy to tell of their accomplishments. At the last memberships meeting a large majority of the members were present.