08-03.
Consumers' co-operative
Pattern description
Consumer cooperatives are enterprises owned by consumers and managed democratically which aim at fulfilling the needs and aspirations of their members. They operate within the market system, independently of the state, as a form of mutual aid, oriented toward service rather than pecuniary profit. Consumers' cooperatives often take the form of retail outlets owned and operated by their consumers, such as food co-ops. However, there are many types of consumers' cooperatives, operating in areas such as health care, insurance, housing, utilities and personal finance (including credit unions).
Inventive problems
The company should constantly keep in touch with customers to attract them and to encourage customers to re-purchase.
The company should minimize communication with customers in order to reduce costs.
The produce suppliers should build relationship with each individual customer, so as to best meet the customer's needs.
The produce suppliers should build relationships with large groups of customers in order to reduce costs.
The company should be large and have a complex structure to perform a large number of diverse operations for the development, production, and delivery of a complex product to the customers.
The company should be small and have a simple structure in order to:
- reduce the variety and complexity of the company activities;
- focus on a small number of core operations;
- have a small stuff;
- minimize the cost of development, production, sale, and delivery of products to customers.