Member Benefits

Take advantage of all the benefits you receive as a member:

• A voice in the Co-op's decisions
• Access to the Buying Club (see below), where you can purchase items at near-wholesale prices
• The opportunity to become a working member and earn up to a 20% discount (see below for more details)
• Quarterly issues of the Berkshire Co-op Newsletter mailed to your home
• A 7% discount for seniors (65+) every day
• All non-senior members annually receive a percentage of their total yearly purchases, depending on the profitability of the Co-op, through our Patronage Rebate Program (percentage determined by Board of Directors)
• Eligibility for the Board of Directors
• A storewide 10% discount on Member Appreciation Days, held four times a year
• Free or reduced admission to Co-op classes and events
• Special discounts at over 50 local businesses through our Community Connections Program (click on the link below for more information)

Member Buying Club

Members can buy their groceries at near-wholesale prices!

The Buying Club allows Co-op members to place bulk orders through the store, which means they save money on the products they love. It’s easy to use--all it takes is filling out a short order form. Buying Club orders for grocery items placed by Thursday evening are ordered from our main supplier, United Natural Foods, on Friday morning, and the products are ready for pickup the following Tuesday. Members pay only 16% above wholesale prices for United orders. Some grocery products must be ordered by the case; others can be ordered by the item (some rules apply). Members can also order health and beauty products through additional suppliers at just 30% above wholesale. There is a three-item minimum for each of these products, and they are ordered once or twice a month. You can find additional details and guidelines for using the Buying Club at the store or by clicking on the link below. If you have any questions, please inquire at the Customer Service desk. Our Buying Club coordinator holds orientations at the store on the second Thursday of every month at 7 pm - stop by the store or call to sign up.

The Co-op Buying Club is Online!
The first time you access the site, you will have to create an account by clicking on “Create an Account.” Once at the registration page, enter your member number and contact information. The system will automatically send you an email with your registration key, a one-time user code that you will need to complete the registration process. Check your email, and make sure Buying Club emails aren’t getting caught by spam filters. It should take no more than ten minutes to get to this point, after which the Co-op will need to check the information you entered against the information in our member database. This step could take up to 48 hours, so please be patient--it will only need to happen once.
After that, you can log in and get started. Be sure to read the “Club Messages” that appear on the welcome screen for updates, hints, and other Buying Club information. The system should be self-explanatory from here on in, but feel free to email any questions to buyingclub@berkshirecoop.org.

Click the link below to access the online database

Buying Club Online

Working Member Program

Receive a discount for just a few hours of service a month!

Working member applications are available at the Customer Service desk. Our program coordinator receives and reviews applications, speaks with applicants and the management team, and then places the working member in a job that fits with both the store's needs and the working member's interests. We ask that working members make a minimum commitment of six months. Work may be done by one person or split between two or more people of the same membership. All working members must be at least 16 years old and attend an orientation.

Lending Library

As a member, you can borrow some excellent books!

Our new lending library makes it easy to read up on great ways to live a healthy life. Stop by the Customer Service desk to check out what we have available:

• The Oil Protein Diet by Dr. Johanna Budwig
• Flax for Life! 100 Delicious Recipes and Tips Featuring Fabulous Flax Oil by Jade Beutler
• Food Combining and Digestion by Steve Meyerowitz
• A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives by Ruth Winter, M.S.
• Nutrition Logic: Food First, Supplements Second by Marie Dunford, Ph.D, R.D
• The Miracle of Stevia by James A. May
• The Healing Power of Flax by Herb Joiner-Bey, M.D.
• The 2005 Non-GMO Sourcebook
• The Omega Diet by Artemis P. Simopoulos, M.D., and Jo Robinson
• Delicious Vegan Meals in Minutes by Gloria Drnjevic
• America Beyond Capitalism by Gar Alperovitz
• Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
• The Real Food Revival by Sheri Brooks Vintan and Ann Clark Espuelas
• Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture
• Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé
• The New Laurel's Kitchen by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal
• The Food Revolution by John Robbins
• Healthy Highways by Nikki and David Goldbeck
• Sweet Soil A documentary on local farmers and the Berkshire Co-op Market (DVD)
• 7 educational video cassettes produced by the Northeast Organic Farmer's Association (NOFA)

How to Become a Member
By purchasing an equity share (making a payment) you become a Berkshire Co-op member/owner. It's really that simple. Just stop by the Customer Service Desk to sign up!

Types of Membership

Single Membership
Who's Eligible: One single adult and children under 18
Equity Share Cost: $100 (includes a one-time $10 administration fee)

Family Membership
Who's Eligible: Two adults and children under 18
Equity Share Cost: $150 (includes a one-time $20 administration fee)

Business Membership
Includes four membership cards
Equity Share Cost: $250 (includes a one-time $20 administration fee)

• Single: $20 initial payment and $10 annually for 8 years
• Family: $30 initial payment and $20 annually for 6 years
• Business: $70 initial payment and $60 annually for 3 years
  
  

Berkshire Co-op Market
42 Bridge Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230
(413) 528-9697 tel (413) 528-6565 fax

Email Us