It’s a co-op by name only. These days, Coop’s just a regular supermarket.

This should be illegal.

Coop the store chain is owned by a cooperative association (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kooperativa_F%C3%B6rbundet) so would say it is legit still.

Why on earth should a member-owned structure be limited to some little store where everyone knows everyone? In the US some fairly large organizations, including juice makers Ocean Spray and outdoor chain REI, are co-ops.

Just because the organization is a co-op (of co-ops in the case of the overall parent org) doesn't mean it knows all members of the public that go shopping there.

It doesn't mean they socially know everyone that shows up, but every member would have paid some amount to buy (a) share(s), at least that's how coops work where I am. Plus accumulated dividends. That's a relative barrier to fraud if they decided to issue credit to members.

You could still fraud hit them in this circumstance, but they have some kind of info printed on your card with your name on it and how long you've been a member, and somewhere in the background, a phone# and address.

If one wanted to commit retail crime, easier to just take stuff and walk out without paying.

They are not limited to members of a participating co-op. Everyone can go shopping there.