Members of the Central Co-op and the Midcounties Co-operative have backed proposals for the two groups to merge and create the UK’s largest independent co-operative Society.
Following member votes held in recent weeks, the plan was formally approved on Monday. The legal completion is expected to conclude in January 2026.
The merger will create a society with one million members, 13,000 staff and annual sales of around £1.8bn. The combined portfolio of the two businesses will include more than 500 food stores, 170 funeral homes, 70 travel agencies, and almost 50 nurseries, as well as more than 500 investment properties across the UK.
The development follows the transfer of Chelmsford Star into Central Co-op earlier this year.
The enlarged Society’s footprint will span Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire in the South and West, across the Midlands, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire, to Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire in the North, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk in the East.
In the coming days, the organisation’s members will vote on a new legal name for the Society. However, the Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star sites and stores will continue to trade under their existing brands, with the new name only applying to the Society’s legal entity.
Debbie Robinson, Central Co-op CEO, said: “Creating a new Society brings together the scale, reach and commercial opportunity to shape the future of co-operation in the UK. This isn’t simply about combining two organisations, it’s about building something new, something distinctly ours. Together, we can drive better value for Members, create career opportunities for colleagues and strengthen the communities we serve. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what a modern co-operative can achieve.”
Phil Ponsonby, Midcounties Co-operative CEO, added: “The combined strengths of our new Society will allow us to navigate through challenging economic headwinds and invest for the future from a position of strength.
"As co-operators we know we can achieve more together, and we look forward to working with our Members, colleagues and partners to create a new Society that builds on our shared heritage and delivers real change.”