Where is the co operative based

We are a leading independent food retailer with high street convenience stores and large supermarkets dotted across the Midlands and East Anglia.

Central England Co-operative funeral services provide support for bereaved families and caring for their deceased loved ones, and our own florists can supply funeral floral tributes and flowers for all occasions. We have regular offers and seasonal deals in all food departments, which you can find out about through our website, and also through Facebook and Twitter. We welcome your comments about your experience of shopping with Central England Co-operative.

Whether you have concerns about a particular store or would like to tell us if you have received outstanding customer service, you can either speak to the manager of the store or send us your feedback using our online contact form. We respond to feedback requests within five working days.

We run occasional shopper surveys in specific stores, and if you find a "Tell us" link on your till receipt we'd love to hear your views about your recent shopping experience in store. If possible, take the item back to the store where you bought it and tell a member of staff.

They will be pleased to help, whatever the problem. The Co-operative Group website has a section dedicated to food ethics, where you can find out about where your food comes from, and how we source local or ethically traded goods wherever possible.

The cooperative principles create guidelines for co-ops to follow and allow co-ops to put their values into action. Cooperatives can be large or small, can exist in a range of industries or sectors and can take multiple forms, based on who the member-owners of the co-op are. A few examples of cooperative types include:. A cooperative business can operate in nearly any industry or sector, but you are more likely to see co-ops in the following areas :. Why do co-ops exist? Cooperatives often have a strong commitment to their community and a focus on strengthening the community they exist in or serve.

When a co-operative does well financially or economically, the community served by the co-op benefits, not just a small group of shareholders. Co-ops offer multiple benefits to their members and the community around them.

From a business point-of-view, cooperatives offer their members the benefit of limited liability. The structure of a co-op means that its shares can be transferred from one owner to another. If a member moves out of the area, dies or no longer wants to be part of a cooperative, they can sell their stake or membership in the co-op to someone else. The cooperative itself will survive even once all of the original members have moved on.

From a social justice and democratic point-of-view, cooperatives matter today because they help to rebalance power and dilute the concentration of wealth. In the U. The cooperative model is one that creates shared prosperity, allowing more people to participate in the economy. Instead of a few people owning the bulk of every business, ownership resides with the people. The cooperative model is also proving to be beneficial for the growth of small businesses in the U.

As baby-boomer business owners approach retirement age, many are selling the companies they own to their employees , effectively turning the businesses into worker co-ops.

Turning privately-held businesses into worker co-ops not only benefits the employees of those companies, who become the owners of the businesses that employ them, but it also benefits the businesses themselves. That productivity level is maintained in future years. The benefits of cooperatives are visible across multiple areas. In the United States, there are around 65, cooperative establishments , and one out of every three people is a member of a cooperative.

The number of co-ops in the U. A global movement From huge banks to Chilean beekeepers — there are 3 million co-ops of all types and sizes across the planet. International co-ops The International Co-operative Alliance ICA is the international body that unites, represents and serves co-ops worldwide — with members from countries. European voice The voice for co-ops in Europe is Cooperatives Europe.

Quick facts about co-ops. Find out more. Related content. Co-operatives UK is the voice for the UK's thousands of independent co-ops. We support co-ops to start up and thrive. Join us to access expert advice, events and training.

Did you know there are 14 million co-op members in the UK? Co-ops are businesses owned by their members. But what does it mean to be a member of a co-op?