Southern Co-op
TypeConsumer Co-operative
IndustryRetail
Founded1873
Headquarters1000 Lakeside, North Harbour, Western Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3FE
Area served
Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Berkshire, Somerset, Surrey, Devon, Bristol, Kent and parts of Dorset and Wiltshire.
Key people
Mark Ralf, Chair
Mark Smith, Chief Executive
ProductsGrocer, Funeral director, Foodservice
RevenueIncrease £515.4 million (22/23)
Decrease £-1.3 million
MembersIncrease 172,625 (22/23)
Number of employees
Increase 4,491 (22/23)
Websitethesouthernco-operative.co.uk

Southern Co-op (originally Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society Ltd, now officially The Southern Co-operative Limited)[1] is a regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. The principal activities of the Society are food retailing, funerals and cafés. It operates more than 300 convenience stores, funeral homes and Starbucks coffee shops. Its operations are mainly located in the southern English counties of Berkshire, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, London, Somerset, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire. Southern Co-op society is owned by over 170,000 members who share in the business's profits and democratically control its operations. It was previously registered as an Industrial and Provident Society, but its status is now as a mutual society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.[1]

The business of Southern Co-op includes burial grounds in West Sussex, Dorset and Cheshire, crematoria in Hampshire and Devon. Additionally, Southern Co-op supports franchisee stores who are members of Southern's Welcome convenience brand.

Total income for Southern Co-op exceeded £500m in one year for the first time ever in 2022, reaching £515.4m. This reflected growth across the trading businesses with like-for-like food sales of +1% compared to last year. Starbucks business total sales were £39.9m with the benefit of new stores, whilst like-for-like sales in stores open more than a year were up 10.8%. Volumes of client engagements undertaken in End-of-Life operations rose during the year to reach a total of 9,373.

There is a significant impact on 2022 profit results from the spiraling cost of energy in the year. Suppliers had hedged positions in place on costs but faced significant uplifts as the hedges unwound, and the market was not offering equivalent terms. Southern Co-op reported a small operating loss of £1.3m, compared to a profit of £4.3m last year. This reflects the rapid increase in energy costs, along with the cost-of-living support payments to their colleagues.

33,632 new Members joined Southern Co-op during 2022-23 (29,323 in 2021-22).

History

Southern Co-op was formed in 1873 by dockyard workers who had transferred from Woolwich docks in east London to the Portsmouth dockyard. The workers had previously set up a successful Co-operative Society in Woolwich. When they arrived in Portsmouth, they decided to replicate a similar set-up there.

In December 1872, 30 people attended a public meeting and unanimously agreed to pay one shilling (12 old pence) for the establishment of a local Co-operative. After five months, the Portsea Island Mutual Co-operative Society's first shop opened in Charles Street on 9 May 1873.

The head office was previously located at Fareham in Hampshire until, July 2011, when it moved to 1000 Lakeside, a business park in North Harbour, Portsmouth.[2]

In 2023 it marked its 150th anniversary with a special logo.

Operations

Southern Co-operative branch in New Alresford, Hampshire in 2020.

Registered in England and Wales under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014,[1] Southern is a member of Co-operatives UK, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of The Co-operative Group.

Grocery retail

Southern Co-op operates around 200 Co-op branded convenience stores, covering Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Sussex, Berkshire, Somerset, Surrey, Devon, Bristol, Kent and parts of Dorset and Wiltshire.

Franchising & foodservice

Southern Co-op own the 'Welcome' convenience store franchise, which had 75 stores by 2023.[3][4]

Cobra Coffee, a Southern Co-op subsidiary, is one of the largest Starbucks franchisees in the UK and operates around 66 stores under license from Starbucks across the south of England.[5][6] Cobra Coffee has a target of 100 stores by 2025.[7]

Funerals/end of life planning

There are also over 60 Southern Co-op funeral branches across the south of England.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FCA – Mutuals Public Register". Financial Conduct Authority. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "1000 Lakeside is the new home for the Southern Co-operative". Southern Co-operative. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  3. ↑ https://www.talkingretail.com/news/industry-news/southern-co-op-opens-75th-welcome-branded-store-13-11-2023/
  4. ↑ https://www.thenews.coop/171740/sector/retail/southern-co-op-hires-franchise-expert-to-look-after-welcome-store-operation/
  5. ↑ https://www.worldcoffeeportal.com/Latest/News/2023/June/Cobra-Coffee-sees-mixed-results-for-licensed-Starb
  6. ↑ https://grocerytrader.co.uk/sainsburys-and-starbucks-celebrate-opening-of-50th-instore-starbucks-cafe-in-folkestone/
  7. ↑ https://www.thenews.coop/162191/sector/retail/southern-co-op-reports-increased-profits-despite-supply-disruptions/
  8. ↑ "Continuity assured as four co-operative funeral branches change hands". The Co-operative Funeralcare. December 2021.
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