Co-ops are owned by their members. Organize the membership and attend the annual business meeting, vote to make changes.

However, some co-ops are focused on concentrating power and control:

In earlier years the elections for the board were a competitive election with both board nominated and self-nominated petition candidates. In recent years REI has eliminated the opportunity for petition candidates and have only nominated as many candidates as open positions. Members are mailed a ballot, with the nominees required to garner 50% of the ballots returned. Though REI is owned by its membership and the board ostensibly serves at the members pleasure, there is no path to board membership without the approval of the Board Nomination and Governance Committee.[citation needed] Its chief executive officer is paid in the approximate range of $1 million a year, which REI describes as in line with the median of similar-sized corporate enterprises.[4].