MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt

What MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt does

MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt is a registered cooperative (eingetragene Genossenschaft) operating a participatory supermarket in Vienna's 12th district (Meidling) at Vivenotgasse 29. Founded as a non-profit association in 2020 and legally incorporated as a cooperative on February 1, 2023, MILA opened its current 350 m² supermarket on October 10, 2025, offering over 3,300 SKUs including organic, regional, conventional, international, and unpackaged products. The core proposition is a transparent fixed 30% markup on the net purchase price across all products — substantially below typical supermarket margins — sustained by mandatory member volunteer labor of three hours every four weeks.

The cooperative is governed by a General Assembly of over 1,500 members (one member, one vote regardless of shares held), a voluntary Board of Directors, and two Managing Directors (David Jelinek and Julianna Fehlinger). Membership requires a one-time cooperative share of €180 (standard) or €20 (social, self-assessed for limited means). Revenue streams include the 30% retail markup on groceries, cooperative share subscriptions, a direct-loan program (€879,888 raised from over 100 individuals at up to 2.5% interest paid as shopping vouchers), community room rental (€150–250 per session), Christmas gift boxes, and a solidarity fund (Soli-Topf) for members with limited financial means.

Technology is functional rather than differentiated. The in-house member platform mein.mila.wien handles membership administration, shift scheduling, product suggestions, and online receipts, and the source code is published openly on GitHub. Smart scales in the produce section support barrier-free weighing for customers with disabilities. Distribution is exclusively physical retail at a single Vienna location, supplemented by community events, multilingual outreach (German, English, Turkish, Ukrainian, Arabic, BKMS), and earned media coverage from ORF, Der Standard, and Radio Wien. Public funding partners include Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, AK Wien Digifonds, Klimafonds, aws, and BML; a €200,000 Erste Bank loan financed equipment and initial inventory. Projected first full-year revenue is €2.2 million for 2026, with management targeting break-even by 2028.

Name

MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt

Legal name

MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt e.G.

Website

https://mila.wien

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt is a Vienna-based cooperative supermarket (e.G.) with over 1,500 member-owners who shop at a single 350 m² Meidling location on a fixed 30% markup, contributing three volunteer hours monthly. It serves individual consumers seeking affordable organic, regional, and unpackaged groceries through a participatory, democratically governed retail model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Grocery Retail

NAICS

Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (4552)

akta.pro primary industry

Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Worker-Owned Grocery Cooperatives (CRAHALAC)

Keywords

• Cooperative supermarket
• Participatory grocery retail
• Organic food store
• Member-owned market
• Community-led grocery

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Members purchase groceries at the supermarket, generating revenue through a transparent 30% fixed markup on the net purchase price of all products. No profit is distributed to members; any surplus is reinvested in the cooperative. Revenue grows with membership and purchasing frequency.
2. Community Room Rental: The 52 m² community room at Krichbaumgasse 25 is available for rental for workshops, seminars, children's birthday parties, and cultural events. Pricing ranges from €150-250 per session depending on time slot. MILA members receive a 50% discount.
3. Cooperative Share Subscriptions: One-time payments for cooperative shares: standard share €180 or social share €20. These contributions form the equity capital for supermarket operations and are refunded upon member departure. Additional shares can be purchased voluntarily.
4. Christmas Gift Boxes: Pre-packaged seasonal gift boxes containing MILA products: Green Box at €30 and Red Box at €60. Customizable with additional items like aprons, tote bags, tea, and gift vouchers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt operates a cooperative supermarket on 350 m² in Vienna's Meidling district, offering more than 3,300 grocery and household products to its members. Members pay a one-time cooperative share (€180 standard or €20 social) and contribute 3 hours of volunteer work per month, enabling a transparent fixed 30% markup on the net purchase price of all products. The cooperative reinvests any surplus rather than distributing profit to members.

Product overview

MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt operates as a cooperative participatory supermarket in Vienna's 12th district, offering a full grocery range of over 3,300 products. The core product is the physical supermarket supplemented by the digital Mitgliederplattform (member platform at mein.mila.wien) for membership management, shift scheduling, and purchase tracking. Additional offerings include the Community Raum for event rentals, Direktkredite for community financing, the Soli-Topf solidarity fund, and the Buddy-System for inclusive shift participation. The business model uses a fixed 30% markup on purchase prices, enabled by member volunteer work (3 hours/month), to offer affordable organic and conventional products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt (Cooperative Supermarket) A cooperative grocery supermarket on 350 m² in Vienna's Meidling district offering more than 3,300 products (organic, regional, conventional, international, unpackaged) with a transparent 30% markup on the net purchase price. Accessible only to cooperative members and their designated co-shoppers.
• Mitgliederplattform (Member Platform at mein.mila.wien) Open-source digital member platform enabling members to manage membership details, sign up for shifts, view purchase receipts, make product suggestions, and access direct loan accounts. Source code published on GitHub (github.com/MILA-Wien/mila-server).
• Direktkredite (Direct Loans) Direct lending program allowing individuals to support the cooperative supermarket without banks. Loans have up to 2.5% annual interest paid as shopping vouchers, with minimum €500 and 4-year terms.
• Soli-Topf (Solidarity Fund) Solidarity-based financial support scheme helping MILA members with limited financial resources. Provides up to €300 over 6 months, loaded onto membership cards for grocery purchases, funded by member donations.
• MILA Weihnachtsboxen (Christmas Gift Boxes) Pre-packaged seasonal gift boxes of selected MILA products in two sizes: Green Box (€30) and Red Box (€60), customizable with additional items like MILA aprons, tote bags, tea, and gift vouchers.
• Miteinkäufer*in (Co-Buyer Program) Program allowing active MILA members to register non-members to shop at MILA with their own shopping card without becoming full members or contributing volunteer shifts.
• Community Raum (Community Room Rental) 52 m² wheelchair-accessible rental space accommodating approximately 30 people, available for workshops, seminars, children's birthday parties, and cultural events. Equipped with flipchart, projector, screen, speakers, and shared kitchen. Priced €150-€250 per session with 50% member discount.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lowest organic food prices in Vienna - €4.00/day for recommended vegetarian organic diet vs €4.90 at organic supermarket
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BIZEPS - Centre for Independent LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Advisory partner on accessibility and disability inclusion for the supermarket refurbishment. Provided expertise on barrier-free design and inclusive practices.
• Mönkemöller und Kreppel (architectural firm)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Architectural firm (led by Burkard Kreppel) assisting with the supermarket refurbishment and space planning at Vivenotgasse 29.
• Solicitor Johannes PepelnikminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Legal advisor providing contract counsel for MILA's various agreements and cooperative governance.
• AAE NaturstromminorOthers · 1 January 2022Independent Austrian green electricity supplier providing the supermarket with renewable electricity.
• Rückenwind (auditing association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Support and auditing association for public-benefit and independent cooperatives. MILA is a member. Provides external auditing every two years, advises on cooperative governance, and ensures economic sustainability. Named as the revision authority.
• La Louve (Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Role model cooperative supermarket in Paris. Founder Tom Boothe visited MILA three weeks after opening to provide advice and encouragement. MILA's model is based on La Louve and Park Slope Cooperative in New York.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Louve: Paris-based cooperative supermarket (founded 2016) in the 18th arrondissement, explicitly cited as MILA's role model. Founder Tom Boothe visited MILA three weeks after opening. La Louve pioneered the same member-ownership-plus-shift-work model with transparent markup pricing that MILA replicates in Vienna.
• Davis Food Co-op: Member-owned cooperative grocery in Davis, California with democratic governance and community-focused retail. Directly comparable to MILA through its cooperative ownership model and emphasis on member input into product selection and operations.
• Mariposa Food Co-op: Community-owned cooperative grocery in West Philadelphia (operating since 2000) emphasizing local sourcing and cooperative governance. Comparable to MILA through cooperative ownership and shared values-based retail positioning around producer relationships and affordability.
• GreenStar Cooperative Market: Member-owned cooperative natural foods market in Ithaca, NY with 14,000+ members and 50+ years of operation. Comparable to MILA in operating a full-scale cooperative supermarket with member-driven governance and volunteer labor.
• Park Slope Food Coop: Brooklyn-based member-owned cooperative grocery (operating since 1973 with 17,000+ members) that earns discounts by working shifts. Explicitly cited as one of MILA's direct inspirations; the two share identical cooperative governance, member volunteer labor, and democratically determined product assortment models.
• The People's Supermarket: London cooperative supermarket founded in 2010 with community-led governance and affordable pricing for budget-conscious consumers. Directly comparable to MILA through cooperative ownership, member-volunteer participation, and a mission to make good food affordable beyond the high-margin organic niche.

Others

• Open Food Network: Global technology platform supporting community food enterprises with online ordering, logistics, and producer connection tools. Comparable to MILA as ecosystem enabling infrastructure for cooperative and community food retail, with potential complementarity to MILA's open-source mein.mila.wien platform.

Broad incumbents

• Denn's Biomarkt: Largest dedicated organic supermarket chain in Austria and Germany with 300+ stores. Comparable to MILA as a direct Austrian competitor in organic retail with overlapping product assortment and target customer; differentiated by operating on conventional for-profit retail model rather than cooperative ownership.
• Basic Bio: Established Austrian organic supermarket chain with multiple Vienna locations, focused on regional and organic products. Directly comparable to MILA as a regional organic retail competitor within the same geographic market, operating at greater scale under conventional ownership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/MILA-Wien/mila-server
• Facebookfacebook.com/MILAsupermarkt
• Instagraminstagram.com/milasupermarkt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milasupermarkt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MILA Mitmach-Supermarkt