The outsider consumer co-operative: lessons from the Community Co-operative Store (Nuriootpa), 1944-2010

Current models of co-operative survival need to be modified to consider those national experiences where consumer co-operatives become ‘outsider co-operatives’; they cannot rely on a broader co-operative movement or network. The Nuriootpa Co-operative is a prime example of such a co-op. Its ability to deal with issues of capitalisation, ideological appeal and relationships with the local community has historically been central to the survival and growth of this Australian Rochdale co-operative. However, without the support of a broader movement or network, its adoption of the franchising model has proved to be a key to the success of this co-operative.