SUPERCOOP is a cooperative supermarket project we are working on many neighbours in Madrid. It is located at the San Fernando market in the Lavapiés central district.
We aim at opening its doors in march 2020, reason why we are looking for finantial support to purchase the equipment we need for the opening. This support may come either in the shape of new cooperative members, or in the shape of grants which allow us to boost the project.
SUPERCOOP project is not moved by profit, its goal is promoting food sovereignty among those interested in a complete supply of safe and healthy food items, with no quimical product and no pesticide, at an affordable price. Our decisions are taken in general assamblies, in which each cooperativist has a vote.
With your help we will reach sooner our goal, that is turning SUPERCOOP into a supermarket based on responsible consumption and social justice, which is our raison d´être.
Main features and goals of the crowdfunding campaign
This project is run according to principles of Social Economy and Solidarity. SUPERCOOP has been registered in 2019 as a co-operative society, so we are all cooperative members owners of the supermarket and we participate in democratic decision making through public meetings and general assemblies. Moreover, we engage ourselves to make our shopping at SUPERCOOP and to offer three hours work time a month to contribute to its daily management. This voluntary work will cut down labour force costs, and consequently it will allow us to decrease the end sale prices of the products. We wish to make healthy and high quality food available to as much people as possible in the neighbourhood!
One of our strengths lays in the enthusiasm aroused by the project : we have been growing very fast till now, reaching more than 700 engaged associates. The idea is to move on at the same pace up to 1500 associates, so that our project may be economically viable and sustainable in the long term.
This grassroot support is also the basis of our financial resources, thanks to members´ obligatory (100€) and voluntary contributions. Furthermore, on this basis, we have been requiring extra finance to social sector credit entities.
Our MISSION is to build up an inclusive co-operative supermarket, generating social links among the inhabitants and providing commodities selected on criteria of responsible consumption and for the most of them, of ecological production, at a good price.
Our VISION is to be a place of reference as far as change in consumption patterns and integration of people from different economic levels is concerned, along with being a booster of development for local producers aiming at sustainability.
And these are our VALUES:
- Bringing voluntary co-operative work from all associate members without any discrimination, and making them participate in a democratic way in the decision making process related to the supermarket daily management.
- Promoting awareness among the neighbourhood about healthy and responsible consumption.
- Highlighting the capacity of social change linked to grassroot local initiatives.
- Strengthening a productive model based on non lucrative co-operative societies.
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Building up social cohesion in a neighbourhood faced with gentrification issues.
Why this is important
SUPERCOOP is an inclusive project addressed to all Lavapiés neighbours and to any one from outside interested in sharing our endeavours to build a co-operative supermarket for responsible consumption. We believe in this idea, and to implement it we are betting on sustainable and socially inclusive patterns. We welcome warmly any person which feels comfortable with the consumption model we are enhancing.
Team and experience
SUPERCOOP idea germinated beginning of 2018, following the projection in Madrid of a documentary film on the Park Slope Food Coop, in the frame of a municipal initiative (Mares project) aiming at exploring possibilities of replication of this kind of co-operative in Madrid. Park Slope Food Coop started in the 70s as a co-operative supermarket in Brooklyn, being successful till now.
We started then with a group of 15-20 persons willing to engage in the adventure of SUPERCOOP creation. This initial group met many times in order to shape the project design and how to implement it, and finally SUPERCOOP was registered as a co-operative supermarket in april 2019, with the support of 20 founding members. A 5 members team has been elected as SUPERCOOP Board of Directors.
To day we count with more than 700 members, and different work groups have been settled to tackle all the issues related with the supermarket opening:
- Methodology
- Finance
- Works
- Communication
- Informatic support
- Providers