East of England Co-operative Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The East of England Co-operative Society is a consumer co-operative society based in Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk in the United Kingdom. The society is the area's largest independent retailer and is the third largest society in the UK. Membership is open to all residents of the society's trading area.
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[edit] History
The East of England Co-operative Society is an amalgamation of smaller Co-ops from across East Anglia which have joined together over the years. Most recently, the Colchester and East Essex Co-operative Society merged with the Ipswich and Norwich Co-operative Society on 30 October 2005.
The consumer co-operative movement has its roots in the early part of the nineteenth century and the principles of self-help and social equity that developed during the Victorian era. The first successful retail co-operative was established in 1844 by the Rochdale Pioneers.
[edit] Former societies
- The Ipswich & Norwich Society was an amalgam of the Ipswich Industrial Co-operative Society (founded 1868) and the Norwich Co-operative Society (founded 1858). [1]
- The Colchester & East Essex Co-operative Society was founded by a small group of Colchester citizens in 1861. [2]
[edit] Ethical Principles
The society declares its founding traditions to be self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. It supports the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility, and caring for others. The society puts its values into practice through voluntary and open membership, democratic member control, member economic partnership, autonomy and independence, education, co-operations, and concern for the community [3].
[edit] Trading Activities
The society operates central department stores, neighbourhood grocery stores, pharmacies, opticians, jewellery stores and a funeral services department. The Society is the largest independent retailer in the region and the third largest Co-operative Society in the UK with an annual turnover in excess of £400 million and an influence that stretches from East Essex to the North Norfolk coast. The society used to also run a dairy with doorstep deliveries but this was sold to Dairy Crest in early 2008.[4] It is a corporate member of the Co-operative Group.
[edit] Membership
Membership is open to all residents of the society's trading area. In 2005 the society paid its members a dividend (the "divi") of £1.7 million, representing 20% of disposable profit [5].
[edit] Registered Office
- East of England Co-operative Society, 38 Carr Street, Ipswich, IP4 1EW
- Telephone 01473 230303
