Co-Operative
Group Supermarket Company Information
About
The Co-Operative Group Company
The Co-operative Group is an exciting business. They are a food
retailer, banker, insurer, funeral director, car dealer, travel
retailer, pharmacist, farmer and dairy manufacturer. But it's not
just their size that's impressive. They are part of 'the Co-op',
something that most people simply think of as their local shop.
But they are much, much more.
The business
The
Co-operative Group employs over 70,000 people, operates more than
3,000 retail outlets, as well as online and 'business to business'
operations, and in 2002 their sales topped £7billion. They
lead the way in top-up food shopping with their Welcome and Market
Town shops - they have over 1,600 food stores across the UK.
In 2002 they
were declared Multiple Retailer of the Year at the Retail Industry
Awards, beating Asda and Tesco into runners-up places and they are
proud of the fact that they develop Co-op brand on behalf of all
co-ops in the UK - they now have over 4,000 products and they achieved
50% own-brand penetration in their stores in 2002.
More
and more of their food stores sell everything from garden furniture
to televisions, but they also have 39 department stores, giving
customers an even greater choice of products for the home. Travelcare
is the UK's largest independent travel agent with around 390 branches
nationwide, and customers can also book online or over the phone.
Funeralcare
is the UK's largest funeral director. They have over 500 funeral
branches and carried out 85,000 funerals in 2002.
The
Co-operative Bank and Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) are both
part of the Co-operative Group. In 2002 Co-operative Financial Services
was created to bring them together under common leadership to ensure
customers of each can benefit from what the other offers.
The
Co-operative Bank includes the award-winning Internet bank, smile.
As well as leading the way when it comes to ethical banking, in
2002 the Bank announced a ninth consecutive year of record profits.
With
over 4.5 million customers and new products being developed, CIS
is well placed to continue as one of the UK's most successful insurers.
What's more, thanks to its corporate social responsibility stance,
it's a force for positive and far-reaching change.
National Co-operative
Chemists (NCC) is the fourth largest pharmacy operator in the UK
with around 300 Co-op pharmacies.
Priory Motor
Group sells over 15,000 vehicles annually across its 26 dealerships
and is one of the top 30 motor groups in the UK.
ACC
Milk is their liquid milk processing and manufacturing business.
They have two manufacturing creameries and six dairies and five
million pints of Fresh Co-op Milk are delivered to households every
week.
They have more
than 100 years of experience in agriculture and they are the UK's
largest farmer. Their farmcare business manages over 35,000 hectares
of land in England and Scotland, of which 10,000 hectares are owned
by them.
Their property
business, CG Property, owns investment properties valued at £190million
and manages over 3,000 trading properties.
Syncro is their
engineering and building services business, Robert Howarth produces
corporate wear and other clothing under the 'Mandate' name and Goliath
is one of the UK's leading suppliers of footwear for the working
environment.
The
Co-Operative Group Identity
The
Co-operative Group is a co-op, a co-operative society. They are
not a company. They have shares but their value doesn't fluctuate,
they can't be traded and it doesn't matter how much members invest
- money doesn't buy power in the Co-operative Group.
All co-ops have
members and their customers become members to show their support
for the way they do business.
Their
members own and democratically control what they do. Their priorities
are Co-Operative Group priorities.
The
modern day co-operative sector sprang to life in 1844 in Rochdale,
Lancashire, when 28 workers, sick of seeing people in their community
exploited not only as workers but also as consumers, decided to
set up a co-operatively owned, co-operatively run shop that would
treat customers fairly and trade honestly. Not only that, it was
decided that customers who became members to show their support
for the way the shop was run, would have a democratic right to have
a say in the business.
It was a revolutionary
idea.
Until then,
private traders cheated customers. They adulterated products and
gave customers short measures, reaping large profits that found
their way into their own ever-deeper pockets. The customer was certainly
not king.
The 'rules'
the Pioneers agreed would guide their business are still the hallmarks
of co-ops throughout the world, large or small and whatever their
area of business - housing, health care, childcare, leisure services,
education.
But just because
they have a history, doesn't mean they are living in the past and
millions throughout the world have decided the co-operative way
is the better way.
They
are proud to say that the Co-operative Group is the UK's largest
consumer co-op and, just like an agricultural co-op in India or
a telecommunications co-op in America, the same values and principles
shape their business. They are -
Co-Operative
Group Principles
Voluntary
and open membership
Democratic member control
Member economic participation
Autonomy and independence
Education, training and information
Co-operation among co-operatives
Concern for community
Co-Operative
Group Values
Self-help
- co-ops and their members work together to make a positive difference
Self-responsibility - every member should do their bit to help their
co-op thrive
Democracy - members have the right to take part in their co-op and
be involved in taking decisions
Equality - all members must have the same opportunity to play an
active part in their co-op
Equity - co-operatives reward their members fairly
Solidarity - all co-ops are based on the belief that collective,
co-operative action is the best way to succeed
Other
values which co-operatives seek to abide by are honesty, openness,
social responsibility and caring for others.
the
Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited,
PO Box 53,
New Century House,
Manchester
M60 4ES
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