The Co-operative Food

As the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer, we provide our customers with quality, responsibly-sourced great-value foods, and we are one of Britain’s largest farming operations.  As well as supporting British farmers, we are committed to helping producers in the developing world through our long-standing commitment to Fairtrade.

With a food store in every UK postal area, we are the country’s leading community food retailer. With over 2,800 stores across the UK and over 74,000 employees, we are at the heart of the communities in which we trade and we seek to play an active role in these areas by supporting local charities and good causes through our Community Fund.

Logo
Location:	Over 2,800 stores – one in every UK postal area Store locator
Key people:	Steve Murrells (Chief Executive - Food) The Co-operative Food leadership team: Sean Toal, Chief Operating Officer Steve Bailey, Finance Director David Roberts, Property Director Debs Gleeson, HR Director Mike Osmond, Commercial Director Cheryl Marshall, Service Delivery Director Mark Hale, Supply Chain Director Howard Reed, Food CIO
Employees:	75,000
Customer enquiries	The Co-operative Group Customer Relations Freepost MR9473 Manchester M4 8BA Email: customer.relations@co-operative.coop Phone: 0800 0686 727 Opening hours are: 9am - 8pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 9:30am - 8pm Wed 9am - 5pm Sat and Sunday
Media enquiries	For general media enquiries please call 0161 827 5752 or contact a member of the Food PR team
Website	www.co-operativefood.co.uk Jobs: www.co-operative.jobs/food
Social media sites	Facebook: /TheCooperativeFood Twitter: /cooperativefood

Strategy

The purpose of the Food business is “To provide our customers with delicious food conveniently” with a vision “To be the best local food retailer in the UK”.   

Key facts

• 5th largest food retailer in the UK
• Over 2,800 stores – one in every UK postal area
• 14.5m customers served per week
• 60% of UK customers shop at a Co-operative Food store over the year
• Market-leading policies in place to promote animal welfare and healthy eating
• We are the largest retailer to sell exclusively free range eggs.
• All our toilet rolls are FSC accredited – meaning we are helping to protect the world's rainforests

Key achievements / awards

• Environmental Sustainability Award 2012 at the IGD Food Industry Awards
• Green Retailer of the Year 2011 

History

• In 2008 we conducted the world’s largest consumer poll on Food Ethics. 100,000 members gave us their backing and we launched our Food Ethical Policy
• In 2009 The Co-operative Group acquires Somerfield, adding over 800 outlets to the Food store portfolio.  
• In 2003 The Co-operative switches all own-brand coffee to Fairtrade, which means an extra £1m each year is returned to coffee farmers in the developing world
• In 2001 The Co-operative becomes the first retailer to introduce Braille onto its own-brand range of medicines. We are also the first retailer to include Braille labels on some own-brand alcoholic drinks. The move coincided with the launch of our premium whisky and vodka in time for Christmas 2001.
• In 1998 The Co-operative stocks Fairtrade products in every food store – meaning it now stocks Fairtrade products in more outlets than any other retailer.
• In 1985 we announced that no own-brand toiletries or household products, or their ingredients, would be tested on animals – even though the law allowed the practice to continue. The Co-operative co-sponsored a Private Member's Bill with the RSPCA to require more informative labelling for products tested on animals.