Patronage Refund Bylaws Change Passed

It’s an extremely exciting time for all of us here at Tidal Creek. Our new bylaws were adopted by an overwhelming number of owners and we are now officially a cooperative, effective July 4, 2005! One of the biggest advantages of the new patronage refund system is that it will allow Tidal Creek to set the level of financial return to members so it reflects how profitable our co-op is each year and how much we need to be saving collectively for our co-op to continue to thrive in the future.

The most obvious change resulting from the new patronage refund system will be getting one refund check each year rather than the current discount on each purchase at the time the purchase is made. Working members will continue to get a “point-of-sale” discount of 8-12% on each purchase, in addition to the possible annual refund all members will receive. The Point of Sale registers will track purchases to be credited to your ownership account, scan your owner card at the beginning of every purchase.

Advantages to being an owner

Co-op owners support sustainable agriculture, ethical business practices, and healthful lifestyles..and:

• You are an owner of a cooperatively run local business.
• You can participate in the governance of the Co-op by voting, by becoming a member of the board of directors or by serving on a board committee.
• You receive a free subscription to the Co-op’s newsletter, which includes notices of events, recipes and other information to help you live a healthy lifestyle.
• Your grocery dollars stay in the local economy.
• You are an owner of a store that provides the best locally grown, certified organic and natural products.

Financial advantages

• You are eligible to receive a patronage refund once a year based on how much you shop.
• You benefit from an owners only savings shopping list, over 110 products at an average of 20% off.
• You receive a 5% off coupon in your mailed Co-op Current newsletter
• You receive 10% off all purchases on Owner Appreciation Days
• You can special order products at below retail price – increasing your savings.
• You can volunteer 4-8 hours a month for an additional discount.

We promise to continue creating additional opportunities for owners to save!