| Type | Consumer Co-operative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Wholesale) |
| Founded | 2005 (1858) |
| Headquarters | Wherstead Park, The Street, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2BJ |
| Products | Grocer, Funeral Director, Travel Agent, Ophthalmic Optician, Dispensing Chemist |
| Revenue | c. 400 million GBP |
| Employees | 5,000 (approx.) |
| Website | www.eastofengland.coop/ |
The East of England Co-operative Society Limited is the third largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It is a registered Industrial and Provident Society,[1] a member of the Co-operative Union Ltd., the Co-operative Retail Trading Group, the Co-operative Travel Trading Group and a corporate member of Co-operative Group Ltd. (formerly Co-operative Wholesale Society), the largest consumer co-operative in the world. Headquartered in Ipswich and trading in the English counties of Essex, east Suffolk and east Norfolk, the Society is the area's largest independent retailer.
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The East of England Co-operative Society is an amalgamation of smaller societies 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 in 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. The Ipswich and Norwich Society was an amalgamation of the Ipswich Industrial Co-operative Society (founded 1868) and the Norwich Co-operative Society (founded 1858).[2] The Colchester and East Essex Society was founded as Colchester Co-operative Society in 1861, expanding through merger with the Tiptree Self Help (1921), Clacton (1931), Coggeshall Heart in Hand (1945), Harwich, Dovercourt and Parkeston (March 1967), Maldon (Nov. 1967), Witham (June 1970) and Earls Colne (Aug. 1970) co-operative societies.[3]
The Society operates convenience stores, pharmacies, opticians, funeral directors and travel agents (as The Co-operative Travel). It previously ran a dairy with doorstep deliveries, but this was sold to Dairy Crest in early 2008 and their department stores and a jewellery store were sold to Vergo Retail in 2009. In 2010 their car dealerships were sold to various owners.[4][5][6] It is a corporate member of the Co-operative Group, sourcing its food through the national buying programme, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group.
The Society has declared 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.
Customers and employees pay £1 to join and receive a Dividend card, which effectively acts as a loyalty card, and must be presented at any transaction to receive points. These points are then allocated a monetary value, decided by a board, and based on the Society's profits that year.
Membership is open to all those living or working in the Society's trading area. Members receive a share in the profits and in 2008 more than £4 million was paid out in dividends.
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