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Cooperatives are common in rural America. One of my clients is an electrical cooperative that got started in 1939 as part of the Rural Electrification program. Grain elevators and similar agricultural infrastructure are very often cooperatives. Likewise in parts of the Midwest, telephone cooperatives are common - high bandwidth and low rates.

The flip side is that cooperatives are run like businesses. The electrical cooperative will cut a shareholder's power as quick or quicker than a for profit utility when the shareholder fails to pay their bill - I've been to my client's office on "Cut Off Tuesday."

Costco and Sam's club (wholesalers / cash n carry) offer membership benefits but I think that's more related to getting air miles on your credit card.

I'm confused. What on earth does being a member of Costco have to do with credit card air miles?

Apologies, bad choice of word on my part. I should have said "akin" rather than "related".

The point I was trying to make is that whilst those companies offer a membership incentive structure its not a true co-op and you don't have an ownership stake in the company. You just receive some member benefits like cash back and discount coupons - similar to your credit card company giving you air miles.

Florida's Natural (a national orange juice brand in the US) is also organized as a grower's cooperative, which is similar but not identical to consumer coops like REI.