Co-operative Group facts for kids
 |
|
One Angel Square, Manchester
The Co-operative Group's Headquarters |
|
| Consumer Co-operative | |
| Industry | Wholesale, Real Estate, Finance, Social Enterprise, Education & Retail |
| Founded | 13 December 1844 |
| Headquarters |
One Angel Square,
,
Manchester United Kingdom |
|
Number of locations
|
4,200+ |
|
Key people
|
Allan Leighton (Group Chair) Steve Murrells (Chief Executive) |
| Services | Food Digital Funeralcare Insurance Legal Services Co-op Membership |
| Revenue |  £9.5 billion (2016) |
 £59 million (2016) |
|
| Members | 4.35 million (active members, 2016) |
|
Number of employees
|
Over 60,000 (2016) |
| Subsidiaries | The Manx Co-operative Society Limited 100+ |
The Co-operative Group, trading as The Co-op, is a British consumer co-operative with a diverse family of retail businesses including food retail; electrical retail; financial services; insurance services; legal services and funeral care, with in excess of 4,200 locations.
It is the largest consumer co-operative in the UK and owned by more than 4 million active members. Membership is open to everyone aged 16 and over in the society, provided they agree to subscribe £1 sterling in the capital of the society out of their first share of the profits and share the values & principles upon which the group was founded. The Co-operative Group has over 70,000 employees across the UK.
The business has long established itself as an ethical retailer, allowing women the same democratic rights within the society as men since its founding and was the first major UK retailer to champion Fairtrade. The Co-operative Group has also pioneered a number of other initiatives which are now commonplace, including easily-interpretable providing nutritional information on its own brand food, raising animal welfare standards, install their own renewable energy generation and investing significantly in community projects. It has held the Fair Tax Mark since 2015.
Businesses
Current
The group has 85% of the co-operative retail business in the UK and substantial shares in wider markets, including travel and funerals.
The Group's food retailing business, which trades as Co-op Food, is the largest division of the group with over 2,700 stores of various sizes and with the largest geographical spread of any retailer. The stores are mainly in the convenience and medium-sized supermarket sector, with some larger superstores. The business also acts as a wholesaler for other consumers' co-operatives within the UK through Co-operative Federal Trading Services.
The Co-operative Group operates the UK's largest Funeral Director, with over 900 funeral homes, many of which retain their private names whilst most operate using the Co-op Funeralcare brand.
The society owns Co-op Insurance, a general insurance business aimed at providing insurance services to co-op members. It also provides business insurance.
Co-op Legal Services is a national legal services provider. Services cover family law and divorce, writing wills, probate, conveyancing, personal injury and employment law.
Co-op Electrical sells electrical products, from kitchenware and white goods to home entertainment. In 2015, the Co-op became the first electrical retailer to sell its extended warranty insurance products at cost price. In the previous decades extended warranties had gained a reputation for being poor value for money, but for being heavily promoted by retailers owing to their high profitability. The business is also unusual in providing a 60-minute delivery time slot, confirmed by SMS on the day of delivery.
The Co-operative Travel is a joint venture. The venture operates 450 travel agencies and constitutes the largest travel agent network in the UK. In December 2016 the co-op announced its intention to sell its stake in the venture to Thomas Cook during 2017, ending over 100 years of trading.
Currently, the group owns a 20% stake in The Co-operative Bank, which was a wholly owned subsidiary until 2014 when the group was forced to sell the majority of its holding to investors to raise funds for the bank.
The Group has interests in retail site management, property investment and land development which are managed through its business, The Co-operative Estates. The Co-operative Estates is involved in the £800m 20 acre NOMA development in Manchester and operates a large-scale energy buying group for co-operatives.
Images for kids
-
The Hanover Building in Manchester, former headquarters of the Co-operative Wholesale Society
-
The head offices for the Co-operative Bank and the CIS in Manchester's 'co-op quarter'
-
The Co-op superstore Lisburn Road, Belfast, shown here in 1996.
-
Example of the 'Co-Op Welcome' branding from Stansted Mountfitchet
-
Example of the 'Late Shop' branding on the co-op store in Whitnash
-
The VG logo and shop livery, c. 1990
-
CIS Tower and One Angel Square in Manchester, England.
-
Former CWS warehouse by the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
-
Co-operative Pharmacy, St Michael's Hill, Bristol just before the sale to Bestway
-
The Co-operative Bank head office building at 1 Balloon Street, Manchester, England
-
Co-op savings stamp book, 1980s
-
Queen Elizabeth II at the opening of an office declared the "most environmentally-friendly building in the world", November 2013
.jpg)
.jpg)
