October is National Co-op Month, when we recognize the values and principles upheld by cooperatives that demonstrate alternatives to capitalist business structures. All year, we celebrate and support the cooperative model, including collaborating with other cooperative businesses. The cooperative movement’s overarching goal is an economy made up of businesses that exist to serve the people who use them. As a cooperative community, we aim not only to meet our owners’ shared needs but also to show that a healthier, more equitable society is possible. Celebrate cooperation with us this month and all year round!

What Makes a Co-op a Co-op?

A cooperative is a business owned, governed, and operated by its members for mutual benefit, rather than to maximize profits for outside shareholders. Cooperative businesses help keep money in the community for the community. As a community-owned grocery cooperative, Seward Co-op aims to build and sustain a healthy community that has equitable economic relationships, positive environmental impacts, and inclusive, socially responsible practices. While everyone, regardless of ownership, is welcome to shop at our stores, owners buy stock that gives them a say in our business like a vote in the board of directors’ election. However, this is just one of many perks that owners get.

Learn MORE & BECOME AN OWNER