It is the story of Swiss consumer cooperatives that Hans Müller describes and discusses in detail here. Beginning with the founding of the first consumer cooperatives in the mid-19th century, he guides the reader through their various stages of development and addresses their expansion. Müller highlights the driving forces behind the consumer cooperatives, explains organizational forms, as well as organizational mistakes. It is a comprehensive and detailed picture that Müller presents to the reader. This is a carefully edited reprint of the original edition from 1896.