Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley

Chronology

• 1937: The Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley, composed mostly of church and University people, opens a food store in Berkeley.
• 1938: The Berkeley Cooperative Union, with members coming largely from the Finnish community, opens a service station and hardware store in Berkeley.
• 1940: Starts publication of Co-op News.
• 1942: Co-op makes sure it only sells lean ground chuck as hamburger, while other stores were selling "hamburger"-that could mean anything that would go through the meat grinder.
• 1946: Helps staff Consumer Information Center for the Civilian Defense Council in Berkeley.
• 1947: The Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley and the Berkeley Cooperative Union merge into the Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley, Inc.
• 1948: An enlarged food store is built at University and Sacramento in Berkeley.
• 1953: The University Avenue Food Store is again enlarged
• 1955: Hires first Home Economist. A Co-op auto repair garage is opened in Berkeley. A hardware/variety store is opened at 1432 University Avenue.
• 1957: Co-op members open their first facility outside of Berkeley- a food center and service station at 1510 Geary Road in Walnut Creek.
• 1959: A third Berkeley Venter opens at 1550 Shattuck Avenue.
• 1961: Co-op issues its first statements to regulatory agencies and legislatures on standards of identity for orange juice and orange juice products, on fish protein, and on frozen raw breaded shrimp. These statements will be issued regularly throughout the ensuing years, often with significant impact on the success of consumer efforts to enhance food safety and labeling standards.
• 1962: Co-op acquires five stores from Sid's chain- in Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and Castro Valley, and converted them to co-ops. One was the Natural Food Store. The addresses were 3000 Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, 1295 South Main in Walnut Creek, 3667 Castro Valley Road in Castro Valley and 1581 University Avenue in Berkeley (now combined with the 1414 University Avenue Co-op Food Store).
• 1963: A food center and service station were opened at Eastshore Boulevard and Potrero in El Cerrito, after extensive planning by members in the area.
• 1964: Co-op home economists issue first of many advocacy statements urging that all ingredients be listed on ice cream labels.
• 1965: Co-ops wrap meat better side down so shoppers will know better what they are buying: a well intended program that did not work well and was discontinued. Co-op Low Cost Cookbook first published. It goes through 8 printings. It is first put together by Co-op members and consisted of inexpensive main dishes.
• 1966: Co-op lobbies extensively on the Fair Packaging and Labeling Law, which passes on November 2, 1966.
• 1967: After ten years of planning, a Co-op shopping complex opens on Tamal Vista Boulevard in Corte Madera, Marin County.
• 1968: First began support for farm-worker struggles, United Farm Workers' Union (UFW).
• 1970: Begins carrying organic produce. Bans sale of hazardous pesticides in stores. Establishes a community recycling center in Berkeley. Co-op organizes a petition drive to support first bottle bill deposit legislation. A weakened version passes in 1986.
• 1971: The Natural Foods Center opens at 1581 University Avenue in Berkeley. Bans smoking in Co-op stores.
• 1971 - 1973 : One of five markets nationwide chosen by FDA to test nutrition information on food labels and the only input from a group of consumers. The final version became law in 1973.
• 1972: Launches a campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of plain aspirin vs. expensive pain killers to help members save money on drugs. First store in the U.S. to sell nitrite-free hot dogs. Publishes Co-op 35th Anniversary Menu Book, complete gourmet menus donated by Co-op members including accompanying wines and liqueurs.
• 1974: Co-op acquires three stores in Oakland from Mayfair and converts them to co-ops; 5730 Telegraph Avenue, East 18th and Park Boulevard, and one in the MacArthur-Broadway Shopping Center.
• 1975: Following intensive member initiative, Co-op opens its first San Francisco store, in the Northpoint Shopping Center at Bay and Mason. Ceases purchase of fluorocarbon-containing aerosols.
• 1976: Lowers milk prices illegally to force the issue of price fixing in milk. Recognizing that it has long since outgrown its physical limitations, Co-op begins a complete redevelopment of its first store, the University Avenue Center in Berkeley.
• 1977: First sponsors energy and water conservation clinics.
• 1978: Because of the energy crisis and reduced traveling, losing operations at the garage and service station are discontinued.
• 1979: Starts giving refunds for re-used paper bags and begins to sell Save-A-Tree reusable bags. Begins marketing "Natural Pack" Co-op label canned foods- without added sugar, salt and without preservatives or artificial colors.
• 1980: Publication of Berkeley Co-op Food Book brings together in one publication the food preparation, health and safety information from prior years' home economists handouts, columns etc. Natural Foods products, initially promoted in a separate store in 1971, are emphasized in special departments in all stores, including four specially remodeled for this purpose.
• 1981: MacArthur-Broadway (Oakland) and South Main (Walnut Creek) Co-op Centers were closed.
• 1982: Castro Valley Co-op closes.
• 1983: Begins boycott of Nestle's products because of infant formula scandals in Third World countries.
• 1984: North Oakland, Marin, Geary Road and El Cerrito Co-ops close. Accepts an ad rejected by other media about sugar in cereals and false advertising. Decides to boycott Chilean produce.
• 1985: Members vote to support boycott of Coors beer, which is subsequently removed from Co-op shelves. Goes on record opposing irradiation of food, calls for labeling of any irradiated foods, and launches petition drive to FDA on these issues. Savories (Corte Madera) opens- Co-ops first specialty ranch style market.
• 1986: Closes Northpoint and Hardware Variety Centers. Receives Nutrition Pace-Setter award from the Center for Science in the Public Interest for innovation in nutrition information and consumer protection.
• 1988: The Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley closes.

From the guide to the Consumers Cooperative of Berkeley records, 1939-1991, (The Bancroft Library)