| Type | Consumer Co-operative |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Central House, Hermes Road, Lichfield, Staffs. WS13 6RH, United Kingdom |
| Area served | English Midlands |
| Key people | Frank Croft, President Martyn Cheatle, Chief Executive |
| Revenue | £918m (2010) |
| Members | 931,246 (2010) |
| Employees | 8,254 (2010) |
| Website | midlandsco-op.com |
The Midlands Co-operative Society Limited is a regional 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.
Since the merger of The Co-operative Group and United Co-operatives in 2007, it is now the second-largest co-operative in the UK. As its name suggests, the Society operates predominately in the English Midlands. Head office is located at Lichfield in Staffordshire.
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The Society traces its origins to the Derby Co-operative Society which, in 1854, was one of the first co-operatives in the Midlands. In 1969, a number of Leicestershire societies merged to form the Leicestershire Co-operative Society Limited. Similar circumstances occurred in 1985 across Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Birmingham forming the Central Midlands Co-operative Society Limited. In 1995, the boards of the Leicestershire and Central Midlands Societies, which were financially sound and trading profitably, agreed to merge. Since 1854, 72 separate mergers between different societies have been undertaken to form today's Midlands Co-operative.
Most recently, Chesterfield Co-operative Society merged with the Society in 2001, Ilkeston Co-operative Society in 2006, Raunds Co-operative Society in 2007 and Moulton Co-operative Society in 2009.[2]
Membership is open to all residents of the Society's trading area, with members receiving a share of the profits in the form of dividend.
The Society operates 176 supermarkets and convenience stores throughout its trading area. Most are now rebranded as The Co-operative Food, mirroring branding from The Co-operative Group.
With the transfer of the Ilkeston Society, the Midlands Co-operative now has a large portfolio of over 100 travel agents. These agencies currently operate both the traditional Midlands' Co-op Travel and Ilkeston Co-op Travel formats.
Midlands Co-op Funeral Services operate some 80 funeral homes throughout the region.
Unlike many co-operatives, the Society maintains a number of fashion & home stores. These consist of six department stores located in Chesterfield, Coalville, Derby, Ilkeston, Stafford and Wigston. It also operates three other specialist non-food stores, selling beds and electrical products.
The Society operates light-commercial vehicle servicing garages and MoT testing stations in Leicester and Loughborough. It also has a single Suzuki car franchise in Kettering.
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