A primary consumers’ co-operative is a voluntary organization of individual consumers, organised to obtain their requirements of consumer goods and services on terms of greatest advantage to them and it is the base-level society in the Consumers’ Co-operative Sector.

There are 1560 Primary consumers Cooperative societies registered in West Bengal.
Some of the consumers’ co-operatives play significant role in supplying LPG and in distribution of Consumer goods under Public Distribution system. The Consumer Coops. by opening large number of “Self-Service Units” and “Retail outlets” are trying to reach more and more middle and lower class people to stabilize the market price and check to some extent the exploitation of the consumers. Besides, a good number of PACS and PAMS are engaged in sale of consumers’ articles in rural areas. Considering the above, WEBCON has been entrusted with the task of studying the problems of CONFED and preparing “Turn Around Strategy” with the assistance from NCDC so that the entire system can be made more viable. Recently an “Expert Committee” has been formed to suggest measures for Development of Consumers’ Cooperatives in West Bengal.

The Table below will give an overview of the health of the Primary consumers’ cooperative Societies in West Bengal.

Graph Showing the Number of Primary Consumers’ Cooperative Societies running at a Profit compared to Total Number of Societies.