For Buyers

Fair Warning.

Once you've picked up a bushel of apples directly from the farmer who grew them just down the road, or grabbed fresh fish off a boat alongside your neighbor or mailman, regular online shopping starts to feel a little hollow.

Co-Op is deliberately simple: find a co-op near you that excites you, claim your share, and show up on fulfillment day to pick up your order (or have it delivered, depending on how the seller sets things up). That's it. No subscriptions, no commitments, no guesswork.

What happens in between is the part people don't expect. Every co-op has a group chat connecting you anonymously with your fellow buyers and the seller directly. It's where pickup details get shared, questions get answered, and (more often than you'd think) where something that started as a transaction starts to feel like a community.

Co-Op puts you in the same place as the people who make what you're buying. No middlemen, no mystery. Just a group of people in your community deciding that their buying habits should mean something. The best way to understand it is to join one.

FAQs

  • Co-Op is a marketplace where you and your neighbors pool your buying power to purchase directly from local farmers, makers, and regional producers. The more people who join a co-op, the lower the price can drop — giving everyday buyers access to bulk pricing that used to be reserved for restaurants and distributors.

  • Co-Op is currently focused on the Northeast US and growing. Search your zip code to see what's available near you.

    We’re adding sellers all the time! If you have a local farm in mind, send them to our sellers page so they can start the first co-op in your town!

  • Browse listings near you, find something you want, and claim your share. You pay at the time you claim. Once the seller's minimum is met, the co-op confirms and you'll receive details about pickup or delivery through the co-op group chat.

  • A share is your portion of a bulk order. Every co-op listing tells you exactly what one share gets you. For example one share might be 5lbs of tomatoes, a dozen eggs, or one jar of honey. You can claim multiple shares if you want more.

  • Every co-op has an anonymous group chat connecting all buyers with the seller. This is where pickup details, timing, and any updates get communicated. The chat is anonymous (everyone is assigned an emoji as their username) unless you’d like to share your first name and follow the same rules as a standard public chat forum.

  • Some sellers offer tiered pricing that drops automatically as more shares are claimed. You'll always see the current price and the next price tier clearly on the listing. If the price drops after you've already purchased, you'll receive a refund or account credit for the difference.

  • You'll receive a notification when your co-op reaches its minimum and the order is confirmed. All pickup or delivery details will be shared in the group chat and/or in the listing by the seller.

  • Each seller sets their own fulfillment method: pickup at a location they choose, delivery, or pick-your-own for farms and orchards. The fulfillment method is always clearly listed before you purchase so there are no surprises.

  • Reach out to the seller directly through the group chat as early as possible. Refund and cancellation policies are set by each individual seller and will be clearly listed on the co-op page. We always encourage sellers to be flexible with their co-op member.

  • You're charged at the time you claim your share. Your payment is held securely until you confirm you've received your order, at which point it's released to the seller.

  • Refund policies are set by each seller and listed on their co-op page. If you have an issue with your order, reach out through the group chat or contact us directly at info@co-op-app.com and we'll help make it right.

  • Yes. All payments are processed through Stripe, one of the most trusted payment platforms in the world. Co-Op never stores your card information.

  • If a co-op doesn't fill, it simply doesn't form and you are automatically refunded in full. You're never charged for an order that doesn't complete.

  • Every seller on Co-Op goes through a vetting process before their first listing goes live. We personally review each seller and their products before they're approved to sell on the platform.

  • Farmers markets are great but they require you to show up at a specific time every week. Co-Op lets you browse and buy on your own schedule, guarantees your share before pickup day, and connects you with sellers beyond your immediate geography. And with dynamic pricing, the more neighbors who join, the better the price gets for everyone.