Controlling consumption: A comparative history of Rochdale consumer co-operatives in Australia and the United States

This chapter focuses on Rochdale consumer cooperatives, which date back to 1844, when a group of “pioneers,” dominated by skilled and supervisory trades, in Rochdale, England, started the movement to combat low wages, high prices, and poor-quality food. The principles for the Rochdale cooperatives included the provision of capital by members at a fixed rate of interest; cash purchases only and no credit; a dividend on purchases, or divvy, based on profits to be divided among members in proportion to the amount of purchases; and management based
on democratic principles—one member, one vote rather than one vote, one share.