United Co-operatives
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United Co-operatives, or simply United Co-op, is the largest regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. The Society operates across Yorkshire, the north west and north Midlands of England.
The Society in its current form came from the merger of United Co-op (formerly United NorWest) and Yorkshire Co-operative in the early 2000s.
The key businesses of the Society are food retailing, travel retail, car dealerships (Sunwin Motor Group), pharmacies and funerals. The non-food under-performing department stores, most of which were inherited via Yorkshire Co-operatives, are currently being closed or sold-off.
United Co-op's pharamacies and food stores must be not confused with the Co-operative Group's own chain of pharmacies and food stores, which adopt a slightly different logo and fascia.
The former Normid chain of superstores was owned by the society.
In late 2006, members voted for a merger with the smaller Sheffield Co-operative Society, which will bring United a greater prescence in South Yorkshire. On December 11, 2006, members voted for a merger with Leeds Co-operative, which has similar statistics to Sheffield Co-op, subject to a second vote in January 2007. [1] United itself, particularly its highly successful food group, is constantly on the lookout for new sites and acquisitions to add to its 450 stores (Nov'06), as well as participating in mergers.
At the end of 2006, the boards of United and of the larger Co-operative Group announced that they were having initial talks regarding a merger between them, the UK's two largest co-operative societies. [2]
On the 17th Feburary 2007 it was announced that the merger will be taking place, and should be completed by late July 2007 [3]
The United Co-op became sponsors of the Rugby League Conference for the 2007 season.
