Why did they form a co-operative Society?
In 1844 times were hard in Rochdale and the poorer people had to be careful not to spend more money than was necessary but private shopkeepers often charges excessive prices and adulterated their goods – in other words they mixed sand with oatmeal and plaster of Paris with flour. Sometimes they gave false weights and measures. The Pioneers thought that a shop actually owned by its customers was the best means of consumer protection and it would also be beneficial in that profits would go back to the customer-members in the form of a dividend instead of going into the pockets of private shopkeepers. Members of the society would be able to buy pure, wholesome food that was weighed and measured fairly and the profits or surplus would be divided fairly between them based on the amount that they spent at the shop.
