CO-OP MEMBERSHIP
The Benefits of Becoming a Co-op Member
- Preorder cases or quantities of select items and receive a 15% discount off shelf prices
- Member-owners receive appreciation discounts in February, July, and October
- Participate in Co-op governance — vote in annual elections, run for the Board of Directors, or join the Member Affairs Committee
- Support local businesses, food producers, and nonprofit organizations
- Earn a dividend based on your annual purchases
- Learn more about the benefits of becoming a Co-op member
Getting Started
EQUITY INVESTMENT
$90 Equity Investment
Pay your way: pay in full or
in $3 monthly installments
ANNUAL DUES
$5 Annual Dues
$5 annual dues payable on
on your joining anniversary
Three Ways to Shop
Co-op Membership FAQs
No. Everyone is welcome to shop at the Co-op!
Absolutely! Your membership applies at both Co-op locations (Downtown and Cordata) and when you shop the Co-op's online store for curbside pickup.
Yes. When you begin shopping online with the Co-op, you will be prompted to set up your online account in association with your membership information. Click here to learn more about shopping online with your Co-op membership.
No. Shelf prices are the same for all customers. Members receive exclusive coupons, special order discounts, and other deals.
No. You don't accrue redeemable rewards points or save a percentage off your shop by using your membership card at checkout.
It is important to display your membership card at checkout, because your patronage dividend is apportioned in accordance with how much you shop in association with your membership each year. Note: Patronage dividends are only apportioned in years in which the Co-op is profitable.
Another reason to display your membership card at checkout is to make it easier to find a record of your purchases if you need to return or replace a product.
Your $90 equity investment is fully refundable. You have the option to get a refund for your equity investment when you become a senior member or if you choose to close your Co-op membership. The $5 annual dues, however, are not refundable. Annual dues contribute to the cost of Co-op elections, the annual meeting, and other membership events.
You can always get your membership card reprinted by going to the service desk at either Co-op location. It's free and only takes a couple of minutes.
Co-op Benefits FAQs
As a member-owner, you can pre-order cases or quantities of select items and receive a 15% discount off shelf prices across all departments. Some limitations may apply simply due to the ways in which the coronavirus continues to impact supply chain dynamics.
Yes! Senior members have all of the same rights and receive all of the same benefits as other members, but they are not expected to make the same financial contribution.
In non-COVID-19 times, both of the Co-op's community rooms — the Healthy Connections Classroom Downtown and the Local Roots Room at Cordata — were available for Co-op member-owners to reserve for non-commercial use as one aspect of the Co-op's ongoing commitment to our community. Right now, all public use of the community rooms is suspended due to the current health crisis.
In years that the Co-op is profitable, members receive patronage dividends based on how much they shop at the Co-op in association with their membership account.
Co-op FAQs
A food co-op is essentially a grocery store that is owned by the people who shop and work there. Click here to learn more about our co-op's history.
No. The Community Food Co-op is independent from other co-ops in Washington and across the United States. That being said, other co-ops in the area will honor your co-op membership if you tell your cashier at checkout that you are a member of the Community Food Co-op in Bellingham, WA. The Community Food Co-op does the same for members of other co-ops when they are guests in our stores.
