A co-operative store is established to increase mutual co-operation and for common interest of consumers. Each consumer becomes its volunteer member. The members form a management committee or executive committee to manage, control and operate it. Such committee is democratically elected on the basis of one member one vote. All the members have equal right and responsibility in a co-operative store.
Policy, decisions and operational programs of co-operative store are made by general assembly of its members, and executive committee implements them. Co-operative stores sell goods for hand cash. Its objective is not to earn profit but to provide services to its members. However, if profit is earned, this is distributed among its members as an interest of the capital they have already invested in establishing the co-operative store.
At first, consumer co-operative stores were started in England. Later on, such stores began to be gradually established in other countries. In the present time in most of the developing and least developed countries consumer co-operative stores are found to be very popular and beneficial.
