| Type | Consumer Co-operative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Wholesale) |
| Founded | 1876 (Incorporated 1887) |
| Headquarters | Burch House, Saville Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE3 7PR |
| Key people | Harry Whitelock, Chairman John Chillcott, Chief Executive |
| Products | Grocer, Travel Agent, Funeral Director, Ophthalmic Optician |
| Revenue | £257 million (2007) |
| Employees | 3,700 (2006 approx.) |
| Website | http://www.arcs.co.uk/ |
Anglia Regional Co-operative Society Limited is the fifth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the merger of the Greater Peterborough Regional (formerly Peterborough and District) and Anglia (formerly Waveney) Co-operative Societies in 1987. The Society has a wide-ranging and extensive portfolio with over 80 stores, principally trading in East Anglia.[1] Previously located at Westgate House, head office re-located to Burch House, Peterborough in 2011.
According to the International Co-operative Alliance, “A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise.”[2] The Society is a registered Industrial and Provident Society,[3] a member of the Co-operative Union Ltd., the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of Co-operative Group Ltd. (formerly Co-operative Wholesale Society), the largest consumer co-operative in the world.[4]
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Under its rules, “The objects of the Society are to carry on the business of a store-keeper, general dealer and universal provider in all its branches, and in particular to buy, sell, manufacture, produce, grow, cultivate and deal in goods, stores, consumable articles, chattels and effects of all kinds, both wholesale and retail and generally to engage in any business, trade or industry which may seem to the Society directly or indirectly conducive to the interests or convenience of the Society's members or any section thereof.”[5] In addition, the aims state, “The Society shall at all times conduct its business and affairs in accordance with the Rochdale Principles of Co-operation, as published from time to time by the International Co-operative Alliance, serving the needs of its customers, employees and the communities in which it trades.”[6] In practice, the Society’s principal undertakings today, besides food and fuel retail, comprise the provision of funeral, optical, travel and foreign exchange services.[7] Its previous engagements include department and furniture stores, motor car dealerships, dispensing chemists, dairy and bakery.[8]
In 2004, United Co-operatives Ltd., based in the North West of England, announced that it no longer intended to include department stores in its primary strategy, leading to the sale of seven stores, mostly inherited from the Yorkshire Co-operative Society, to the Anglia Society.[9] In 2005, the Co-operative Group also announced its decision to exit the department store sector and, in 2006, a further seven stores, this time located in the South East of England, were transferred to the Anglia Society.[10][11] The Group subsequently merged with United in 2007. Thus, through acquisition, many Westgate branches were situated further afield than the core Eastern region.
In 2007, the Society—by now the largest in the non-food sector—formed the Anglia Buying Service, making its buying and logistics expertise available to other co-operatives.[12] In 2008, it launched an electronic commerce venture, selling bedroom, living and dining room furniture, with free delivery throughout Great Britain.[13]
In 2011, the business of 19 Westgate Department Stores, including Contact Electrical and Comfortmaker Textile Superstores was divested to J E Beale Plc for £7.5m. Ownership of the freehold properties remains with the Society, which will continue to operate AHF furniture and carpets, Co-operative Travel, Westgate Optical and Stylistics hair and beauty concessions; Beales is committed to maintain and honour the dividend at these branches.[14] The Co-operative Home store in Hartlepool and Westgate stores at Blyth, Scunthorpe and March were not included in the sale. The site of the March store was sold to Reef Estates Ltd. and the premises leased to W Boyes & Co Ltd., although the Co-operative Travel branch previously based there was unaffected, relocating to its own premises.[15] The Hartlepool store closed on 30 November when the Society's 10 year lease expired.[16] The Blyth and Scunthorpe stores continue to trade as Westgate for the time being due to devalued freehold and a long running lease, although it has been reported that management are “reviewing the format and pursuing any opportunities that give the stores and the staff the best prospects for the future.”[17]
Later in 2011, AHF Home Furnishings was transferred to Anglia Home Furnishings Ltd. as a going concern. A partner of the Society, Anglia Home Furnishings Holdings Ltd. is the largest employee-owned co-operative in the UK.[18] The sale included ARCS Internet Ltd. trading as Co-op Furniture, the online store of AHF and Westgate, which has since been renamed AHF Internet Ltd.[19]
Co-operative societies are owned and controlled by their members on the principle of one member one vote and the Anglia Society has always operated on that basis, giving all members equal voting rights. Each member is required to hold at least one share of £1 which is paid in full on entering the Society. Organisations are also eligible to join.[20] Agreed by the membership, the Society's rules provide for a board of ten, three of whom may be employees of the Society, to be elected by the annual general meeting. The full board meets monthly and sub-committees meet quarterly or less frequently.[21]
Dividend is a share of the profits made by the Society. The rate of dividend is recommended to members by the board of directors and put to a vote. Members have an opportunity at the point of sale to donate their dividend to the Anglia Co-operative Community Fund, formerly known as Share 600, the proceeds of which are presented each year to three or four charities nominated by the board.[22] It is paid annually and a warrant placed in the share account wallet on receipt.
The Co-operative Group relaunched its own membership scheme in 2006. In 2008, the Anglia Society joined the new scheme under a reciprocal arrangement. The Society will in future allocate dividend through the card scheme and members will also be able to accrue dividend at participating societies nationally. This will include food purchases, on which the Society had not previously paid dividend.[23] A new rule book based on Co-operativesUK 12th edition model rules was approved by the membership and registered with the Financial Services Authority in 2009.[24]
Anglia Regional Co-operative Party operates in Peterborough and west Norfolk.[25]
Although managed by the Society, in-house travel agents operate under the national co-operative travel brand. The Co-operative Travel is a member of the Co-operative Travel Trading Group. From 2008, Rainbow supermarkets and Co-op Local stores began re-branding as The Co-operative Food, whilst also remaining part of the Anglia Society. In 2011, adjacent petrol filling stations previously supplied by Shell moved across to Total, aligning buying with the Co-operative Retail Trading Group.
| Division | Outlets |
|---|---|
| The Co-operative Food | 27 (including 8 filling stations) |
| The Co-operative Travel | 15 (plus 10 bureaux de change) |
| Anglia Co-operative Funerals | 25 |
| Westgate Department Stores | Blythe and Scunthorpe |
| Westgate Optical | Peterborough, St. Neots and Hunstanton |
| Stylistics Hair and Beauty Salon | Peterborough |
The Anglia Co-operative Funeral group incorporates R J Scholes (Bourne, Deeping St. James and Stamford), Harvey Brothers (Bungay), J H Landin & Son (Chatteris), A Coley & Son (Crowland), George James & Son (March), Watkins & Stafford (Peterborough), Dennis Easton (St. Ives), Fishers (Southwald), H E Bull & Son (Whittlesey) and M J Claypole (Yaxley) funeral directors.
| Subsidiary undertaking | Principal activity |
|---|---|
| Anglia Co-operative (Food) Ltd.[26] | Food retailing |
| Anglia Co-operative Properties Ltd.[27] | Property management |
| Co-op Funeral Services (Anglia) Ltd.[28] | Funeral services |
| Elite Electrical Ltd.[29] | Electrical retailing |
| Food and Funeral Properties Ltd.[30] | Property management |
| Plutarch Limited[31] | Property management |
| Westgate Optical Ltd.[32] | Ophthalmic opticians |
| Yaxley Farm Ltd.[33] | Farming |
| Anglia Motor Group Ltd.[34] | Non-trading |
| Anglia Wholesale Furniture Distribution Ltd.[35] | Non-trading |
| ARCS Department Stores Ltd.[36] | Non-trading |
| ARCS Electrical Superstores Ltd.[37] | Non-trading |
| Rainbow Stores Ltd.[38] | Non-trading |
Anglia Motor Group previously sold Audi, Vauxhall, Honda and Fiat in Kings Lynn, Vauxhall in Wisbech and Hunstanton and Proton in Beccles. It also operated a Kings Lynn bodyshop trading as Bodyline.[39]
| Associated undertaking | Class of shares |
|---|---|
| J E Beale Plc[40] | Preference |
| Anglia Home Furnishings Ltd.[41] | Preference |
Since 1999, co-operative chemists in the Society's trading area are operated by National Co-operative Chemists Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Co-operative Group trading as The Co-operative Pharmacy.[42] The business and assets of the former Anglia Dairies Ltd. were transferred to Dairy Crest Group Plc in 1997 for an aggregate consideration of £4.5m.[43]
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.
The Society was founded as Peterborough Equitable Industrial Co-operative Society in 1876. It later absorbed the Oundle (est.1866), St. Neots (est.1882), Huntingdon (est.1866), Wisbech (est.1886), King's Lynn (est.1888), St. Ives (est.1889) and Chatteris (est.1900) societies, becoming the Peterborough and District Co-operative Society, then Greater Peterborough Regional Co-operative Society.[44]
Stanley Tiffany, a director of the Society, was elected Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for the Peterborough division of Northamptonshire at the 1945 general election.[45]
The Anglia (formerly Waveney) Co-operative Society, which transferred engagements to the Peterborough Society in 1987, had earlier absorbed the Beccles (est.1879), Diss (est.1898) and Lowestoft (est.1890) societies.[44]
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