Retailers' cooperative

A retailers' cooperative is a type of cooperative which employs economies of scale on behalf of its retailer members.^[1] Retailers' cooperatives use their purchasing power to acquire discounts from manufacturers and often share marketing expenses. A retailers' cooperative is essentially a group of independently owned businesses that pool their resources to purchase in bulk, usually by establishing a central buying organization, and engage in joint promotion efforts.^[2] It is common for locally owned grocery stores, hardware stores, and pharmacies to participate in retailers' cooperatives.

A consumers' cooperative, sometimes referred to as a retail cooperative, should be distinguished from a retailers' cooperative.