Membership and co-operation
We’re owned by and run for our members, not a small group of shareholders.
The more our member-owners choose us, the more value we create for them and their communities.
Download the 'Membership and co-operation' section of the Co-operate Report 2023 (PDF, 1.7 MB)
How member-owners control and influence their Co-op
Co-op Membership is about much more than just deals and rewards. Members are owners of the business. This means member-owners can have a say in how it’s run and what we work on through our AGM and Elections, become Council Members, campaign with us, and influence and shape the products we sell and the causes we support through our Member Participation and Community activities.
Over 1 million member-owners joined us in 2023, the most we’ve recruited in a single year since 2017
Member participation
Members own our Co-op, and shape our business activity through formal, democratic channels, like the Annual General Meeting and by getting involved in ‘everyday’ participation opportunities such as Join In. We aim to create maximum value for our member-owners and their Co-op by working with them to co-create products and services, bringing them closer to the community programmes they fund, standing up for what we care about and helping them understand our unique co-operative model.
During 2023, member-owners participated in activity supporting ‘Our Vision’ more than 2.5 million times, including selecting a local cause, getting involved through our Join In programme, voting and donating their personal reward.
Co-operation among co-operatives
We’re working to build partnerships that push the principles of co-operation forward and work together to help co-operatives and social businesses survive and thrive.
It’s our ambition to be at the forefront of this movement, using our scale and influence to help others. We continue to be by far the largest funder of the Co-operative Movement and its institutions, providing over £1.6m of funding to a diverse range of organisations.