Buying Groups

N.B. You can use E-circles to manage your Buying Group or you can simply subscribe it to add it to the map.
In any case, you will receive a notification every time a new user registers, so that you can contact him.

What's a Buying Group?

A Buying Group is a system of purchasing goods collectively.

A number of customers form a group who cooperate in order to buy food and other commonly used goods directly from producers at a price that is fair to both parties, that is, ensuring the correct remuneration for the workers.

The goal is not to obtain the lowest price, but is to buy products which guarantee social ethics and respect for the environment.

How can I take part?

First informed if in your area there is an active Buying Group. If in your area is not yet any Buying Group active and meet other people like you would be interested in creating one, you can do so from here; once you have created the group, your friends can participate and you will quickly make you active.

This site offers a wide range of functions ranging from order management, to internal communication in the group, volunteer management in the collection points, etc. Also informed the producers present in your area: remember that it is important the criterion by which the producers must be as near as possible, respect the environment and the rights of their workers are chosen. It is very important to maintain personal contact with suppliers, to know and personally verify their production philosophy. If you discover that there is an existing group, you can contact an administrator, so you can learn how to join.

If the Buying Group is already active on this site, then participate is simple: you just need to register and then make application for membership, after which you will be contacted by an administrator of the Buying Group will give you the information you need. 

E-circles.org is designed to simplify the management of orders and communications within the Buying Group. .

Order management works in a very simple way: 

• the contacts open orders establishing the date and closing time of orders and product recall order products through a simple interface;
• orders submitted immediately become visible to the representatives, the producers and directors of Buying Group;
• the date and time established orders are automatically closed.
• at this point it just has to organize the collection and distribution of goods.

There are also some tools to facilitate internal communication; you can send messages to single foodcoopers, to certain groups of people or whole Buying Group, you can create polls, upload news and priority messages.

To fall under the category of Social Buying Groups, there must be an assumption of solidarity with the small producer from which you buy the products, the distribution of products must be based on voluntary activity and should not be applied any kind of reloading. Buying Group can be formally recognized association or group of informal households.

Login or Register to join an BG Register a Buying Group