Frustration with massive corporate supermarkets is driving a fascinating new trend in the modern retail food industry. Shoppers are tired of seeing local profits extracted from their neighborhoods by faceless international conglomerates. They want a grocery store that actively supports local farmers and pays its employees a fair living wage. Communities are taking matters into their own hands by physically building and funding their own alternative markets. Let us review the rise of the co op and why shoppers are funding their own neighborhood grocery stores.
