No employer shall, directly or indirectly, by itself or through a subsidiary agency owned or controlled in whole or in part by such employer, sell, cause to be sold, or possess or control for sale to employees or to any other person, any merchandise not handled by such employer in the regular course of business, nor shall any employer permit the employer’s name, credit, or premises to be used in connection with the sale or offer for sale of any such merchandise. This section shall not apply to purchases by an employer for the purpose of resale to employees of such specialized equipment and paraphernalia as may be required for employees’ safety and health, candy, chewing gum, tobacco, or meals consumed on the premises of such employer. The provisions of sections 325D.09 to 325D.16 shall not apply to any cooperative associations, duly established under the laws of the state of Minnesota, with respect to any merchandising transactions, which such cooperatives are authorized by their charters to conduct with their members.