Retail and Consumer Co-ops Address Consumer Needs
QUEBEC CITY, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
Retail and consumer co-ops are leaders in their industries around the world and household names. The 2012 International Summit of Cooperatives is proud to announce six new speakers from this key economic sector.
Every day, millions of consumers shop for food, hardware and pharmaceutical products in these co-ops. The cooperative business model has demonstrated its ability to meet consumer needs and many of these businesses were among the first to use their co-op identity and difference to better serve their members.
In many countries, these brand names have been around for decades and are extremely competitive in terms of product pricing, quality and availability.
The six speakers announced today are:
Peter Marks - Co-operative Group (UK) - Multisector
Rodrigo Gouveia - European Community of Consumer Cooperatives (Belgium) - Organization representing local and regional co-operatives
Scott Banda - Federated Co-operatives (Canada) - Multisector
Andrew MacGillivray - Gay Lea Foods (Canada) - Food
David Labistour - Mountain Equipment Co-op (Canada) - Outdoor gear and clothing
Robynn Shrader - National Cooperative Grocers Association (USA) - Food
According to recent data published by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), retail and consumer cooperatives generate an aggregate of $350 billion dollars in revenue annually. More than 20% of the 300 largest cooperatives in the world operate in the retail and consumer sector.
2012 International Summit of Cooperatives: http://www.sommetinter2012.coop
Follow the Summit on Twitter: Sommetcoop2012
2012 International Year of Cooperatives (UN): http://www.un.org/fr/events/coopsyear
Official pre-Summit conference: Imagine 2012
For further information:
Nathalie Genest: +1-514-281-7275 / +1-866-866-7000, ext.7275 (Canada)
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