Corner shops and newsagents
A corner shop counts its stock, plans its rota and checks the fridges.
Food co-ops and member-run shops
Members work their shifts and order online for pickup. The shelves, the suppliers' orders and the fridge checks are in one place.
The coordinators work in one Magpie team. Members order from the shop, join on a form and talk on the board.
Get started free
This combination of six Magpie areas fits a food co-op or member-run shop.
- Inventory
- Inventory counts the shelves, and drafts each supplier's order from what is low.
- Store
- Store takes members' orders online, to collect on pickup day.
- Staff Scheduling
- Staff Scheduling plans members' work shifts.
- Daily Operations
- Daily Operations schedules opening, closing and the fridge checks.
- Message Boards
- Message Boards gives members a board for ideas and votes.
- Accounting
- Accounting keeps the books, with shop sales posted automatically.
Each supplier's order starts from what is running low.
Inventory counts oats, lentils, oil and the rest, in each place you keep them. Items below their minimum become a draft order to each usual supplier.
An order over a total you set waits for approval. A delivery that arrives short is recorded as it arrived.
Members order online, and collect on pickup day.
Store is the co-op's online shop, with each product and its stock. Members pay by card and choose to collect.
Marking an order ready emails the pickup times. A discount code can give members their discount.
Members' work shifts are planned, and an open shift waits for someone.
Staff Scheduling plans the week, with positions such as till, stock and deliveries. Each member you invite sees their own shifts.
An open shift waits for someone to take it. Members can swap a shift or ask for time off.
The fridges are checked every day, and a bad reading is followed up.
Daily Operations gives the shop its opening and closing checks, and the fridge round. Each reading is kept with who took it.
A reading outside its range opens an incident, with what to do. Notes for the next shift stay on the day's page.
Members suggest new products, and votes bring the popular ones up.
Message Boards gives the co-op a board, private to the team or public. Members who sign in can post, reply and vote.
A post can ask for a new product, or a volunteer for the next delivery. The coordinators can remove a post.
The books keep up with every sale and supplier bill.
Accounting keeps the co-op's books. Shop sales, form payments and invoices are posted automatically.
Supplier bills can be entered and paid, and bank statements imported and reconciled. The profit and loss compares each quarter with the one before.
Five more areas cover joining, news, suppliers, the website and posters.
- Forms
- Forms takes membership applications, with the member share as a payment.
- Newsletter
- Newsletter tells members what is new and when the next order closes.
- Contacts
- Contacts keeps members and suppliers, with notes and follow-ups.
- Websites
- Websites builds the co-op's site, with opening times and how to join.
- QR Codes
- QR Codes puts the joining form on a poster in the shop.
A week goes from the bulk order to members collecting their boxes.
The order
The supplier's order is drafted from what is low.
The delivery
The delivery crew receives it on their shift.
The shop
Members order online through the week.
Pickup day
Each order is marked ready, and the member collects it.
The books
Sales and the supplier's bill reach Accounting.
Setting up takes four steps.
Add what you stock
You set each item's minimum. Help: Keep track of stock.
Add your suppliers
You list what you buy from each. Help: Order from suppliers and receive deliveries.
Set up the shop
You add a pickup method with its times. Help: Set up and publish a Store.
Plan the first week's shifts
You add positions and shifts. Help: Plan and publish a staff schedule.
Plans
A co-op fits the Team plan, with each coordinator a member. Each working member invited to see their shifts takes a member place too.
Members who only shop, join or post are not added to the team. Magpie adds no fee to shop sales. Prices are on the Pricing page.
Other food shops and growers have pages of their own.
Farms and market growers
A farm or market grower sells boxes and plans the harvest.
Food banks and community pantries
A food bank counts donations, checks the fridges and plans volunteers.
Questions food co-ops ask
Can members order online and collect in the shop?
Yes. Members order from the online shop and choose to collect. Marking an order ready emails them the pickup times.
Can we order from suppliers when stock is low?
Yes. Running low lists each item below its minimum, with an order from its usual supplier. You tick the items and draft the orders.
Can members see their work shifts?
Yes. Each member you invite sees their own shifts once the rota is published. Each one invited takes a member place.
Can members get a discount?
Yes. A discount code can take a percentage off, with a limit on uses per customer. Codes can have start and end dates.
Can we record fridge temperatures?
Yes. Temperature checks can be turned on in Daily Operations. Each reading keeps who took it, and one out of range opens an incident.
Can people join the co-op online?
Yes. A membership form asks your questions. A paid form can take the member share, the same amount from each new member.
Can the treasurer keep the books?
Yes. Accounting keeps them, with shop sales posted automatically. Supplier bills and bank statements go in too.
Set up your co-op in Magpie.
Create a Magpie account and make a team for the co-op.