Services of Purchasing/Shared Services Co-ops

Cooperatives provide many services to meet the needs of their members. For example:

• negotiating prices with vendors
• purchasing of supplies or inputs for the business
• offering private labeling or branding of products
• purchasing items for resale
• providing joint advertising and marketing
• securing common billing services
• providing joint delivery services for products
• providing common reservation or scheduling services
• contracting for services on behalf of members
• providing or contracting for insurance, health care, or other benefits
• warehousing products for members
• offering training and educational activities
• providing consulting and business planning services
• providing management services for members

In offering services, cooperatives may provide them directly or contract to have another vendor provide the services directly to the members. Products for the members may be warehoused by the cooperative or shipped directly from the vendor to the members. The cooperative may take title to goods it purchases and resells or it may instead act as an agent for its members with sales directly from suppliers to the members. However the cooperative chooses to provide its services, the aim is always to provide the best quality at the lowest possible cost.

• Benefits


• Services


• Operations


• Elements of Success
• Resources