The Co-operative Food

The Co-operative Food

Type	Business of a consumer co-operative
Industry	Retail
Headquarters	Manchester, England, UK
Products	Grocer
Parent	The Co-operative Group
Website	www.co-operative.coop/food

The Co-operative Food, abbreviated sometimes to the Co-op, is a brand devised for the supermarket and convenience store business of the UK's consumers' co-operative movement. It is the name of the largest division of The Co-operative Group, and is used by other independent consumer co-operatives in the United Kingdom. The Co-operative food is the successor of the Co-op Late Shop and the Co-op Welcome

Overview

The Co-operative Food in Lawnswood, Leeds.

Whilst the UK co-operative sector's market share of food retail has diminished from a peak of 30% in the 1950s to just 9% today, the Co-operative Group remains the fifth largest food retailer in the United Kingdom. It operates over 3,300 stores of various sizes with the biggest geographical spread of any retailer, with a store in every postal region of the UK. The Group took the decision not to compete head-on with the Big Four supermarket multiples on range and price in a market that was becoming ever more competitive. It decided to concentrate instead on smaller stores which were in local communities. It also began to market the "co-operative difference" and the ethical stance it took on sourcing, having long been a supporter of Fairtrade.

An example is the iconic Co-op 99 brand tea that has now joined all other own-brand beverages in becoming Fairtrade. In addition all Co-operative own-brand health, beauty and household products are marked with an "approved by BUAV" rabbit symbol to show that neither the product nor its ingredients have been tested on animals. Members of The Co-operative Group are entitled to earn dividend on purchases made at The Co-operative food.

The Co-operative Food brand appears on own label goods stocked by all of the UK's retail co-operative societies, while many of the regional societies also use the brand on their stores.

According to Catherine Charnock of Co-operative Brands Ltd., The Co-operative Food was given a green identifying colour distinguishing it from other co-operative business sectors (such as pharmacy, banking, travel and funerals) and from the previous blue livery.^[1]

Retailer Somerfield Stores Ltd. was acquired by The Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal; the brand will be replaced by The Co-operative Food fascia within two years of this acquisition.^[2]

• A recent Which survey claimed that the Co-operative was the least favourite grocer with only 46% satisfaction among customers. This is compared to Waitrose who achieved 85%.^[3]

The company's in-store "Co-operative Radio" is produced and broadcast by Mood Media^[4]

Distribution

Co-operative Food Supply Chain Logistics is the distribution business of the Co-operative Group. The 23 distribution centres are located at

Depot Name	Location	Products	Notes
Alfreton	Alfreton, Derbyshire	Chilled, Meat and Produce
Birtley	Birtley, County Durham	Ambient, Chilled, Meat and Produce
Bridgwater	Bridgwater, Somerset	Ambient
Cardinal	Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire	Chilled, Meat and Produce
Carrickfergus	Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
Chelston	Taunton, Somerset	Ambient
Coventry	Coventry, West Midlands	Slow moving ambient lines delivered via other distribution centres
Fareham	Fareham, Hampshire	Ambient
Halesowen	Birmingham, West Midlands	Frozen
Huntingdon	Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire	Ambient
Lea Green	Liverpool	Ambient, Frozen, Chilled, Meat and Produce
Newhouse	near Glasgow, Scotland	Ambient, Frozen, Chilled, Meat and Produce
Nottingham	Nottingham, Nottinghamshire	Ambient
Peterborough	Peterborough, Cambridgeshire	Chilled, Meat and Produce
Pitreavie	Dunfermline, Scotland
Portbury	Bristol	Chilled, Meat and Produce
Southampton	Southampton, Hampshire	Frozen, Chilled, Meat and Produce	Stock is picked at either Portbury or Halesowen and delivered by the Southampton depot
Thetford	Thetford, Norfolk	Frozen
Plymouth	Plymouth, Devon	Ambient
Thurrock	West Turrock, Essex	Ambient, Chilled, Meat and Produce		Minsterley

Barnsley RDC was closed in April 2007. Ossett, Talke and Bradford were closed in September 2010.Eccleshall closed November 2010. Following the opening of the Newhouse depot, [Harthill] and [Cumbernauld] closed in October 2011. Peterborough and Huntsworth also closed in October 2011.

A composite distribution centre opened in June 2011 on the site of the former RAF Air Field in Andover, Hampshire, replacing the current facilities at Fareham and Southampton, and eventually Thetford.

Further distribution centres are planned at Avonmouth and in the North Midlands.

See also

• List of supermarket chains in the United Kingdom
• Consumer cooperative

References

1. ^ Charnock, Catherine, Marketing The Co-operative Advantage, http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/images/cme_resources/Users/CMSUSER/cms%20event%2015th%20june%202006/Catherine-Charnock---re-branding-presentation.pdf, retrieved 14 June 2010 
2. ^ Co-op completes Somerfield move BBC News, 2 March 2009 13:59 GMT
3. ^ "Which Survey 2011". Which. January 2011. http://www.which.co.uk/news/2011/01/waitrose-tops-supermarket-survey-242420. 
4. ^ Co-operative Radio shows sales increase up to 40% at moodmedia.co.uk

External links

• The Co-operative Food