A new co-operative society, OurCoop, has officially launched, bringing together Central Co-op, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star under the global Co-op marque to create a larger, purpose-led organisation.
The new Society – the UK’s largest independent co-operative – combines more than 500 food stores alongside travel, funeralcare, Early Years and mobile, energy and broadband businesses, creating a broader platform to strengthen investment, scale and long-term co-operative growth while remaining firmly member-owned.
Members of the Central Co-op and the Midcounties Co-operative have last month backed proposals for the two groups to merge. Chelmsford Star has merged with Central Co-op earlier last year.
Together, OurCoop supports more than one million Members and 13,000 colleagues nationwide, building on over 150 years of shared co-operative heritage. By uniting three long-established societies, the move creates a powerful network, while increasing the ability to reinvest trading surpluses into member rewards, services and local communities.
Debbie Robinson, chief executive of OurCoop, said the new Society would enable greater scale and impact across its family of businesses.
“Our new Society brings together co-operative businesses that support people through everyday life and life’s bigger moments – from feeding families and caring for children, to keeping the lights on, helping people travel and supporting them through difficult times,” she said.
“By coming together, we can offer our members an even greater breadth of products and services that meet their needs. We have the scale and connection to generate more value through our businesses, reinvest it for the long term and return more of that value to members in ways that matter.”
To mark the launch, OurCoop is rolling out a programme of member rewards and incentives across its businesses, designed to deliver practical value for everyday living while strengthening engagement with convenience shoppers. The Society said new incentives will be announced regularly, creating further opportunities for members to save and increasing positive impact in local communities.
Elaine Dean, president of the new Society, described the launch as a significant milestone for the wider co-operative movement.
“The launch of our new Society is an historic moment for the co-operative movement,” she said. “OurCoop reflects what makes co-operatives so different and so powerful: by working together and participating, we can create a meaningful difference.”
The Society said the launch marks the start of a longer journey, inviting members, colleagues and communities to help shape a modern, member-led co-operative model rooted in local life.
Robinson added: “We are building a modern, member-led Society with bold ambitions. What matters most now is how we grow our Society together, staying true to our beliefs while creating real value for members, colleagues and customers.”
The new Society trades nationally through its family of businesses and its footprint spans Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire in the South and West; the Midlands including Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire; the North including Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire; and the East of England, including Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk.