There are more and more new ways of merchandising, many of them linked to the technological world, but not the one we are going to tell you about today. This time we are surprised by the inauguration in Barcelona of foodcoop un supermarket in cooperative form. A supermarket that is participatory, that is, each partner participates in its management and in the work of the supermarket. What changes does it imply within the panorama?
With 450 partners FoodCoop breaks into Barcelona In search of product ecological, proximity and even a fair price for the producer and the consumer. The way to achieve it in this case is to contribute to the work of the supermarket in the form of a cooperative and in a project nonprofit. In this way, each member, in addition to contributing the €90 entry fee, as a member of the cooperative, must contribute 3 hours of work per month. The partner will perform all kinds of tasks necessary for the project. This model proposes not only a different type of purchase but also encourages the involvement of all its partners in the project.
a long process
The genesis of the project began more than four years ago and its opening began last week in a rented space in the Arago Passage 9 from Barcelona. According to those responsible, "The proposal to bring to Barcelona a model of success in other cities gave rise to the project that has been progressively consolidated."
Another characteristic of the project is that it will be possible to buy directly to suppliers de foodcoop. In this way, many producer cooperatives see the opportunity to increase their marketing through the supermarket. The range of products to be offered by the cooperative has been defined by the partners based on sustainability criteria. Thus, the products will have an important weight agroecological and proximity, the minimization of plastic containers and that the price is fair for the producers.
Foodcoop, a successful participatory model in other cities
Barcelona will not be, in this case, the first to have a cooperative and participatory supermarket. Cities like Manresa, Mataró, Madrid, the Basque Country, Zaragoza, and Valencia in Spain already have this type of model. The project and the idea was born in New York and has served as inspiration for many projects of this style.
Foodcoop has received the support of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona's town hall and Barcelona Provincial Council.
