gewerbliche Genossenschaften

Gewerbliche Genossenschaften, commercial co-operatives: Associations of self-employed persons in the trades and similar occupations designed to promote and develop commercial activity in this sector. The basic idea is self-help. Commercial co-operatives, founded by H. Schulze-Delitzsch (1808-1883) have been invaluable in securing the viability of small and medium-sized enterprises. Their foremost objective is not making profits but supporting their members by joint purchasing, sales, production, advertising and other services and by ensuring the availability of loans. The most popular form is that of commercial co-operatives with limited liability of their members. The legal basis is the Co-operatives Act of 1873 as amended in 1974.

In 1999 the commercial co-operatives, with almost 6000 employees, founded on the system Schulze-Delitzsch recorded revenues of close to ATS 26 billion. Among the co-operatives most important members are the food retail chain ADEG, Austria Presse Agentur, the sporting goods retailer Intersport and Funkberater and Expert electrical appliances wholesale retailers. Commercial credit co-operatives are the Volksbanken. The auditing association of all co-operatives in Austria is the Austrian Genossenschaftsverband (Schulze-Delitzsch).