UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Washington, D. C. 



November 3, 1916 



A SURVEY OF TYPICAL COOPERATIVE STORES IN 



THE UNITED STATES. 



By J. A. Bexell, Dean, School of Commerce, Oregon Agricultural College; 

 Hectob Macpheeson, Director, Bureau of Markets, Oregon Agricultural Col- 

 lege; and W. H. Keeb, Investigator in Market Business Practice, Office of 

 Markets and Rural Organization, United States Department of Agriculture. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Purpose, scope, and method of the survey. 



Origin of the stores 



General organization — 



Operating organization 



Finance 



Credit 



Purchasing 



Selling ; 



Accounting, reports, and auditing 



Equipment 



The balance sheet 



Operating expensej 



Observations and conclusions 



Appendix 



THE PURPOSE, SCOPE, AND METHOD OF THE SURVEY. 



The financial success of the Rochdale Cooperative Store in Great 

 Britain, as well as in several other European countries, notably 

 Denmark and Switzerland, has aroused a widespread interest in that 

 type of cooperation in the United States. This interest has resulted 

 in the establishment of stores in all parts of the country, imtil it is 

 estimated that there are now approximately 400 in the United States, 

 distributed mainly in the North Central States and on the Pacific 

 coast. 



The movement has probably been stimulated by investigations 

 carried on by the governments of various cities and States which 

 have emphasized the cost of distribution as the chief factor in the 

 high cost of living. The Department of Agriculture, as well as the 

 various universities, agricultural colleges, and departments of state 

 have received appeals for information regarding the feasibility of 

 the cooperative store as a remedy for the great expense of distribution 

 and the resulting high cost of living. 



With a view to obtaining some definite information on this subject, 

 the Office of Markets and Rural Organization, in cooperation with 

 the School of Commerce of the Oregon Agricultural College, during 



Note. — This bulletin should be of interest to cooperative stores and to producers and 

 consumers generally. 



47614" — Bull. B94— 16 1 



