Konsumgenossenschaften

Consumer Cooperatives (Consumer Associations): The first consumer cooperatives in Austria were founded in 1856 by spinning-mill workers in Teesdorf (Lower Austria). In 1864 17 Viennese weavers established the "Erster Niederösterreichischer Arbeiter-Consumverein" ("First Lower Austrian Workers' Consumer Cooperative"); others rapidly followed. Farmers in Vorarlberg established the first consumer association. In 1901-1903 the "Zentralverband österreichischer Konsumvereine" was established as an independent umbrella organisation of consumer associations, and in 1905 the GÖC (Großeinkaufsgesellschaft österreichischer Consumvereine, "Wholesale Association of Austrian Consumer Associations") was founded. In 1934 the independence of the consumers' administrations was revoked. After 1945, cooperatives, primarily regional and local ones, were re-established. In 1978 the "Konsum Österreich" ("Konsum Austria") was established through the merger of 16 cooperatives with 717,000 members. 800 stores (including "Coop Diskontmärkte", "Der frische Konsum", "KGM-Verbrauchermärkte", and department stores) produced most of the Konsum cooperative's retail turnover. (In 1993: 31.5 billion S turnover; 17,208 employees); Konsum Österreich became insolvent and preventive composition was instituted in 1995.