Central Co-op and Midcounties Co-operative members approve new Society
Members of the UK’s two largest independent co-operatives have endorsed proposals for Central Co-op and the Midcounties Co-operative to come together and create a new Society.
Following member votes held in recent weeks, the proposals were formally approved on 2 December with the legal completion expected in January 2026.
The two Societies trade through their food, utilities, childcare, funeralcare and travel businesses. The new organisation’s footprint will span Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire, the Midlands, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire, as well as Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. It will have more than 13,000 colleagues, a million members and 500 food stores.
Debbie Robinson, Central Co-op chief executive, said: “Creating a new society brings together the scale, reach and commercial opportunity to shape the future of co-operation in the UK. This isn’t simply about combining two organisations, it’s about building something new, something distinctly ours.
Subscribe to TRB“Together, we can drive better value for Members, create career opportunities for colleagues and strengthen the communities we serve. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what a modern co-operative can achieve.”
Phil Ponsonby, Midcounties Co-operative chief executive, said: “The combined strengths of our new Society will allow us to navigate through challenging economic headwinds and invest for the future from a position of strength.
“As co-operators we know we can achieve more together, and we look forward to working with our members, colleagues and partners to create a new Society that builds on our shared heritage and delivers real change.”
In the coming days, members will vote on a new name for the Society which will be applied to the legal entity only. This means that Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star sites and stores will continue to trade under their existing brands, all of which carry the ‘Coop’ identity.
