The authors are three economists from CNRS and EM Normandie. They use data from the national statistics office, Insee. Banks, farms, production cooperatives and retailer cooperatives differ in activity. They share collective governance, a long-term view and strong local roots.

The study counts 21,716 cooperative establishments and more than 320,000 full-time jobs in 2023. Between 2019 and 2023 the number of establishments fell by 12.2%. Jobs rose by 0.9%, and gross operating surplus grew by 54.8%, with differences between sectors.

Three retailer networks serve as examples: Krys Group, JouéClub and Sport 2000. Each pools resources in a different way. The French Federation of Cooperative and Associated Retail (FCA) links the findings to its own work with the research firm Xerfi. It reports that 52% of the model’s outlets are in communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. In 11 of the 14 sectors analysed, they post net margins above the retail average.

The federation counts 41,441 independent entrepreneurs, 47,066 outlets and 671,710 employees, with €249.6 billion in turnover. These figures cover all networks and their member firms. The Terram figures cover only legally cooperative establishments, so the two sets are not directly comparable.

The study also looks at business transfers. Keeping activities, skills and decision-making close to home helps local economies, and it gives younger entrepreneurs a way to take over. Succession is a live question for many small shops. The commentary here comes from the federation that represents the model.

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