Southern Co-operative
 | |
| Company type | Consumer Co-operative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Headquarters | 1000 Lakeside, North Harbour, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3FE |
Key people | Michael Hastilow, Chairman Mark Smith, Chief Executive |
| Products | Grocer, Funeral director, Independent living |
| Revenue |  £367 million (2016) |
Number of employees | 4,000+ (2016) |
| Website | www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk |
Southern Co-op is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. The principal activities of the Society are food retailing and funerals. It operates 200 convenience stores and 50 funeral homes, covering the southern English counties of Berkshire, Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire.[1][2] The society is owned by over 160,000 members who share in the business's profits and who democratically control its operations. It is a registered Industrial and Provident Society,[3] a member of Co-operatives UK, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of The Co-operative Group.
Head office was previously located at Fareham in Hampshire, but since July 2011, is now located at 1000 Lakeside, a business park in North Harbour, Portsmouth.[4]
History
Founded in 1873, the Society was known as the Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society until 1998, when it became Southern Co-operatives.[5] In 2009, it purchased 13 stores from Nearby Stores, that had gone into administration at the end of 2008.[6] Membership is open to all residents of its trading area, with members receiving a share of the profits in the form of dividend.
In 2009, plans were released to staff and members that Southern Co-operatives would adopt The Co-operative brand programme. It would re-brand within the next two years as The Southern Co-operative using the same uniforms and fascias as Co-operative Group stores, to "better reflect [their] status as a completely independent regional society owned, controlled and managed exclusively by local people in the South of England, whilst playing [a] full part in the exciting co-operative developments taking place nationally." The legal change of name was registered in 2013.
In 2017, the society re-branded as Southern Co-op, to reflect its status as an independent and completely separate business. The refreshed identity complements the national Co-operative brand that continues to front its stores.
Current operations
As of 2009, the company revealed its latest online venture Co-operative Independent Living (formerly Co-operative Xest) which is a site aimed at selling products that aid mobility and help improve the standard of living for the physically impaired.[7][8]
From 2010 to 2013, Southern Co-op increased its revenue by 26% to £327m, and profits by 28%.[9]
Membership of Southern Co-op has a direct structure, with members entitled to attend AGMs.[9]
See also
References
- ^ "Landmark 200th store for Southern". Co-operative News. 2 August 2016.
- ^ The Southern Co-operative
- ^ Registered in England and Wales under the Companies Act 1985, No. 1591R
- ^ "1000 Lakeside is the new home for the Southern Co-operative". Southern Co-operative. 24 March 2011.
- ^ Our History Southern Co-operatives (retrieved 4 September 2009)
- ^ "Nearby sells 13 stores to Southern". The Grocer. 10 January 2009.
- ^ Products to make everyday life easier
- ^ Annual Review 2008/9 (p.3) Southern Co-operatives, April 2009
- ^ a b Sean Farrell (23 March 2014). "The Co-op Group is in turmoil: the cooperative movement isn't". The Observer. Retrieved 23 March 2014.