Since 1991, JCCU has been organizing training programs for managers of consumer cooperatives in Asia. This summer, five co-op managers from four Asian countries were invited to Japan to take part in the 2019 training program to learn about the businesses and activities of Japanese cooperatives. The training which lasted for 14 days from July 15 to July 28 focused on store business operations at Co-opdeli Consumers’ Co-operative Union and Miyagi Co-op. The participants were Mr. Santosh Shinde and Mr. Ganesh Popatrao Pawar from Sahakari Bhandar - The Colaba Central Co-op Consumers Wholesale & Retail Stores Ltd., Ms. Yoo Kyung Kim from DURE Consumers Cooperative Federation, Mr. Bulgantamir Lkhagvasuren from OD-KR Co-op, and Ms. Ma. Rowena Lazarte from VICTO National.

Engaging discussions at the Co-opdeli Head Office.

The trainees are co-op managers who are working in divisions such as stores and education. Through lectures, store training, and tour of co-op facilities, the trainees learned extensively about staff training;   improvement of productivity in store business; store policies and product development with a focus on competition; incorporating member voices in co-op business; and “Sanchoku” business that connects producers with consumers cooperative’s contribution to the community, society, and the world through businesses and activities.

At the Co-opdeli Head Office, the group received a lecture on the outline of Co-opdeli Consumers’ Co-operative Union and Co-op Mirai. After that, they inspected one of the elderly housing providing supportive services and visited a co-op store. At Miyagi Co-op, the participants visited a co-op store, and heard lectures in the areas of store operation, home delivery, “Sanchoku” business, distribution system, personnel education and cooperative members' activities. They also visited Miyagi Co-op’s reference library for the Great East Japan Earthquake to learn the support provided by Miyagi Co-op and cooperatives nationwide after the disaster and the process of the recovery exercise.

Visit to the cooperative store of Miyagi Co-op.

At the end of the training, a debriefing was held at the Miyagi Co-op Head Office where the  participants reported on what they learned during the training and their future action plan to improve their business environment upon returning home.