The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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November 3, 2008

Your View: Many advantages for co-op shoppers

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By Robert Brummel, Mankato

There is a new movement in town to bring back the food co-op we had more than 20 years ago. While these smaller establishments can’t typically offer the 24/7 service and broader selection a big name store can, I feel people need to know about this potential benefit to our town.

The last co-op we had in town closed in 1983 because it couldn’t compete with the larger national chains that offered 24/7 service, according to a recent Free Press article.

Simply, to give this new movement a better chance, I want people to realize many specialty items not available at a national chain typically can be found at one of these smaller establishments.

The issue of corporate bullies running down Main Street America is nothing new, however, and I feel that smaller-run operations such as a food co-op deserve a fair chance in this economy.

I want people to be aware of the advantages of such an operation in our town. The employees in such places typically are much more knowledgeable and can offer much better variety on specialty items, according to an October article in “Food, Farm and Resource.”

So, before this potential food co-op gets swallowed up by the big guys, I though it fair enough to at least inform people of this new and upcoming potential option in checking off that grocery list.

Think about your options next time you need to make a run to the store, especially if your items are out of the ordinary.

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