Walden Swanson

Organization:

CDS Consulting Co-op

Website:

http://cdsconsulting.coop

Email:

waldenswanson@cdsconsulting.coop

Walden Swanson has been involved with food co-ops since the early 1970s. He has managed both retails and wholesales and has worked extensively as a consultant with food co-ops. Walden currently manages CoCoFiSt (Common Cooperative Financial Statements), a project that compiles, analyzes and compares financial and operating data from co-ops around the country. The purpose of CoCoFiSt is to enable cooperatives to improve operations faster than the competition.

Articles by Walden Swanson

Ratios Rectified - and a Rebate Request

Issue: #115 November - December - 2004

Alert readers Joe Golton from Ashland Food Co-op and John Foley from Outpost Natural Foods Co-op found mistakes in the Return on Equity and the Return on Assets ratios in the Operations Report...

Strong Results, Debatable Future: 2001 Retail Operations Survey

Issue: #101 July - August - 2002

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Human Resources Survey

Issue: #100 May - June - 2002

This is the second annual Cooperative Grocer Human Resources (HR) Survey report. It has been expanded to include information about boards of directors and members of co-ops,...

2000 Retail Operations Survey: Statistical Summary

Issue: #095 July - August - 2001

Cooperative Grocer 2000 Retail Operations Survey

Statistical Summary of Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Ratios

2000 Retail Operations Survey

Issue: #095 July - August - 2001

Human Resources Survey Gives a Close Look at Co-op Compensation

Issue: #093 March - April - 2001

This is the first of an annual Cooperative Grocer Human Resources Survey report. The survey is designed to help co-ops evaluate their HR and compensation practices. We...

Cooperative Grocer 1999 Retail Operations Survey

Issue: #089 July - August - 2000

We are pleased to present the new Retail Operations Survey, which reports double digit growth in co-op sales during the past year, along with higher than ever gross margins. Those operating...

Are You Experienced?

Issue: #081 March - April - 1999

Want some good news? Co-op store productivity increased in the third quarter of 1998, when compared to the third quarter of 1997. (See Graph 1.)

Want some bad...

Analyzing Your Store's Systems

Issue: #042 September - October - 1992 This is the third in a series of articles based on Business Planning For Cooperatives, a manual published by Cooperative Development Services that provides step by step Instructions for writing... read more

Business Plans: Doing the Groundwork

Issue: #040 May - June - 1992 This article Is the second in a series on business planning, based on the how-to manual Business Planning for Cooperatives, by Cooperative Development Services. The first article, "What Good is a... read more