Thanks. Sounds like a good possibility. I’ve heard grocery stores have rather low margins. However I wish them luck. I’m not much of a fan of large corporations being in charge of everything. Local control sounds good.
In a co-op, there really isn't a "margin" in the sense of "profit". Sure you want to put away money to save for future improvements, maintenance, growth, rainy days, etc.... but there is no "profit". They are non-profit entities.
Any margin (above the things I just mentioned) would get put back into the organization through lower prices, capital improvements, higher wages for staff, etc...
One thing I can see right away that would be a benefit is the lack of a need for so much security. Requiring membership would make it more like a private club and the membership could be revoked at any time for any reason. This would keep a lot of the riff raff out and decrease the need for so much loss prevention, which I know is only getting worse in all retail environments.