The Co-operative brand
Encyclopedia
The Co-operative is a common branding used by a variety of co-operatives based in the United Kingdom.
Many in the UK mistakenly consider the Co-op to be a single national business, however each Co-operative is actually a franchise selling branded goods produced by the Co-operative Group
(The Co-op group being the largest consumer co-operative
in the world and so the biggest user of the Co-operative brand rolling out the uniform brand to all of its 4,500 trading outlets across the country). However, each of the individual and independent retail societies in the UK trade as "the Co-op", and many use the common branding, such as the Midcounties Co-operative and Scotmid
.
Former Alldays stores were rebranded as 'The Co-operative' convenience stores run by independent franchises, they are not run by the same franchises which form, for instance, 'The Co-operative Funeral Care' or 'Co-operative Bank' although they all use common and familiar branding and are all ultimately administered by the Co-op Group. By default they are loosely therefore all part of the same umbrella or symbol organisation but have no direct connections with each other.
Most co-operative societies have businesses in many different areas; however, the largest areas of the businesses are in foodstores, particularly convenience stores, thus the largest and most visible use of the branding is as The Co-operative Food
.
, societies which have yet to rebrand, such as the Heart of England Co-operative Society
, use the 1993 cloverleaf logo.
, co-operative shops were established across the UK and soon began taking customers away from private traders: these traders responded by making it increasingly difficult for co-operatives to source quality goods to sell to their members. The solution was for several co-operative retailers to come together in 1863 and form the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS): the organisation (now the Co-operative Group) was responsible for sourcing and producing goods for sale in its members' shops, and also for a unified marketing and branding for the societies. It carried out this role for CWS members for nearly 100 years, and in 1968 launched "Operation Facelift" which resulted in the first ever national Co-op logo.
The "cloverleaf
" logo became a very well recognised symbol for co-operatives, playing its part in creating the impression that they were a single organisation rather than a number of independent organisations sharing common principles
. The brand was strengthened further by the creation of the Co-operative Retail Trading Group (CRTG)
in 1993, providing Co-op branded own-brand products (as well as other food supplies) to its members for sale in their stores: by 2002, the CRTG provided 100% of the food supplies sold by UK consumer co-operatives. However, over time, the brand became tarnished by inconsistent customer delivery from one shop to another and the image perceptions of the cloverleaf logo were irreparably damaged: in market research carried out in the early 2000s, there was a consistent decline in consumer ratings of "the Co-op"'s effectiveness when asked about the "Co-operative", to the "Co-op" and finally when shown the existing logo from 2009.
At the same time, the Co-operative Movement called on the Prime Minister
to establish a Co-operative Commission
to consider ways to ensure the survival of the co-operative model into the twenty-first century: the Commission, chaired by John Monks
, published its conclusions in January 2001 and made a series of recommendations regarding co-operative branding. Most important of these recommendations were that a Co-operative Brand Panel representing all sections of the Movement should be established to monitor and maintain the positive image of the Co-operative brand, and that this panel should consider the "cloverleaf" logo's future.
On behalf of the movement, the Co-operative Group's designers and marketers collaborated with Harry Pearce and John McConnell of the designers' co-operative Pentagram
, to develop a new visual identity to represent “The Co-operative”. The selected artwork was based on a sans serif bold lower case (Neue Helvetica
) logotype of the wording, with different colours representing different businesses, and won a silver award from the Design Business Association. The brand was trialled between 2005 and 2007, at several outlets of the Co-operative Group, Scotmid
, United Co-operatives
and Midcounties Co-operative. A 2007 pilot programme of 115 shops saw sales up 15 per cent, beating the concurrent 4.6 per cent increase at stores that still used the 1993 cloverleaf. The brand was introduced to food packaging in 2007, and officially launched in 2008, then used in national advertising as well as a national programme of store refits.
for £1.56 billion following regulatory approval. It was announced that the stores not sold as part of the conditions of the sale would be rebranded under The Co-operative Food name.
The number of stores owned by Co-operative Group rose to 3,000 following the purchase and led to the group's share of the UK supermarket sector rising from 4.5% to 8% and to pre-tax profits for the six months to July 2009 rising by 17% to £229 million.
Many in the UK mistakenly consider the Co-op to be a single national business, however each Co-operative is actually a franchise selling branded goods produced by the Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
(The Co-op group being the largest consumer co-operative
Consumers' cooperative
Consumer cooperatives are enterprises owned by consumers and managed democratically which aim at fulfilling the needs and aspirations of their members. They operate within the market system, independently of the state, as a form of mutual aid, oriented toward service rather than pecuniary profit...
in the world and so the biggest user of the Co-operative brand rolling out the uniform brand to all of its 4,500 trading outlets across the country). However, each of the individual and independent retail societies in the UK trade as "the Co-op", and many use the common branding, such as the Midcounties Co-operative and Scotmid
Scotmid
The Scottish Midland Co-operative Society Limited, trading as Scotmid Co-operative, is an independent retail consumers' co-operative which originated in the Scottish Midlands, particularly Edinburgh and the Lothians. It was formed in 1981 by a merger of the Dalziel Society of Motherwell with the...
.
Former Alldays stores were rebranded as 'The Co-operative' convenience stores run by independent franchises, they are not run by the same franchises which form, for instance, 'The Co-operative Funeral Care' or 'Co-operative Bank' although they all use common and familiar branding and are all ultimately administered by the Co-op Group. By default they are loosely therefore all part of the same umbrella or symbol organisation but have no direct connections with each other.
Most co-operative societies have businesses in many different areas; however, the largest areas of the businesses are in foodstores, particularly convenience stores, thus the largest and most visible use of the branding is as The Co-operative Food
The Co-operative Food
The Co-operative Food, abbreviated sometimes to the Co-op, is a brand devised for the supermarket and convenience store business of the UK's consumers' co-operative movement. It is the name of the largest division of The Co-operative Group, and is used by other independent consumer co-operatives...
.
, societies which have yet to rebrand, such as the Heart of England Co-operative Society
Heart of England Co-operative Society
The Heart of England Co-operative Society Limited is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It is a registered Industrial and Provident Society, a member of the Co-operative Union Ltd., the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of Co-operative Group Ltd. , the...
, use the 1993 cloverleaf logo.
Cloverleaf brand
Following the early success of the Rochdale PioneersRochdale Pioneers
The Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, founded in 1844, was an early consumer co-operative, and the first to pay a patronage dividend, forming the basis for the modern co-operative movement....
, co-operative shops were established across the UK and soon began taking customers away from private traders: these traders responded by making it increasingly difficult for co-operatives to source quality goods to sell to their members. The solution was for several co-operative retailers to come together in 1863 and form the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS): the organisation (now the Co-operative Group) was responsible for sourcing and producing goods for sale in its members' shops, and also for a unified marketing and branding for the societies. It carried out this role for CWS members for nearly 100 years, and in 1968 launched "Operation Facelift" which resulted in the first ever national Co-op logo.
The "cloverleaf
Four-leaf clover
The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved clover. According to tradition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally...
" logo became a very well recognised symbol for co-operatives, playing its part in creating the impression that they were a single organisation rather than a number of independent organisations sharing common principles
Rochdale Principles
The Rochdale Principles are a set of ideals for the operation of cooperatives. They were first set out by the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in Rochdale, England, in 1844, and have formed the basis for the principles on which co-operatives around the world operate to this day. The...
. The brand was strengthened further by the creation of the Co-operative Retail Trading Group (CRTG)
Co-operative Retail Trading Group
The Co-operative Retail Trading Group is the central buying group for co-operative retail societies in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1993, and says that it supplies 100% of food bought for sale by co-operatives in the UK, after being joined by the last two independent societies in 2002...
in 1993, providing Co-op branded own-brand products (as well as other food supplies) to its members for sale in their stores: by 2002, the CRTG provided 100% of the food supplies sold by UK consumer co-operatives. However, over time, the brand became tarnished by inconsistent customer delivery from one shop to another and the image perceptions of the cloverleaf logo were irreparably damaged: in market research carried out in the early 2000s, there was a consistent decline in consumer ratings of "the Co-op"'s effectiveness when asked about the "Co-operative", to the "Co-op" and finally when shown the existing logo from 2009.
“The Co-operative” brand
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
to establish a Co-operative Commission
Co-operative Commission
The Co-operative Commission was an independent commission set up by Tony Blair at the request of leaders of the British co-operative movement. Its aim was to review the strategy and structures of the sector, with an aim to suggesting ways to develop and modernise the movement, and its members...
to consider ways to ensure the survival of the co-operative model into the twenty-first century: the Commission, chaired by John Monks
John Monks
John Stephen Monks, Baron Monks is a member of the House of Lords and was the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress in the UK from 1993 until 2003, when he became the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation .-Early life:He attended Ducie Technical High School John...
, published its conclusions in January 2001 and made a series of recommendations regarding co-operative branding. Most important of these recommendations were that a Co-operative Brand Panel representing all sections of the Movement should be established to monitor and maintain the positive image of the Co-operative brand, and that this panel should consider the "cloverleaf" logo's future.
On behalf of the movement, the Co-operative Group's designers and marketers collaborated with Harry Pearce and John McConnell of the designers' co-operative Pentagram
Pentagram (design studio)
Pentagram is a design studio that was founded in 1972 by Alan Fletcher, Theo Crosby, Colin Forbes, Kenneth Grange and Mervyn Kurlansky in Needham Road, West London, UK...
, to develop a new visual identity to represent “The Co-operative”. The selected artwork was based on a sans serif bold lower case (Neue Helvetica
Helvetica
Helvetica is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann.-Visual distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:lower case:square dot over the letter i....
) logotype of the wording, with different colours representing different businesses, and won a silver award from the Design Business Association. The brand was trialled between 2005 and 2007, at several outlets of the Co-operative Group, Scotmid
Scotmid
The Scottish Midland Co-operative Society Limited, trading as Scotmid Co-operative, is an independent retail consumers' co-operative which originated in the Scottish Midlands, particularly Edinburgh and the Lothians. It was formed in 1981 by a merger of the Dalziel Society of Motherwell with the...
, United Co-operatives
United Co-operatives
United Co-operatives Limited, or simply United Co-op, was the largest regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom until its merger with The Co-operative Group in 2007. The Society operated across Yorkshire, the north west and north Midlands of England...
and Midcounties Co-operative. A 2007 pilot programme of 115 shops saw sales up 15 per cent, beating the concurrent 4.6 per cent increase at stores that still used the 1993 cloverleaf. The brand was introduced to food packaging in 2007, and officially launched in 2008, then used in national advertising as well as a national programme of store refits.
Somerfield becomes The Co-operative Food
On 2 March 2009, The Co-operative Group successfully purchased Somerfield Stores LtdSomerfield
Somerfield was a chain of small to medium sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The company was taken over by the Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal, creating the UK's fifth largest food retailer. The name is currently being phased out and replaced by the...
for £1.56 billion following regulatory approval. It was announced that the stores not sold as part of the conditions of the sale would be rebranded under The Co-operative Food name.
The number of stores owned by Co-operative Group rose to 3,000 following the purchase and led to the group's share of the UK supermarket sector rising from 4.5% to 8% and to pre-tax profits for the six months to July 2009 rising by 17% to £229 million.
External links
- The Co-operative Food – customer website for the Co-operative Group's food operation
- CRTG – trade website of the Co-operative Retail Trading Group