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Central Co-op and Midcounties Co-operative members approve merger
Members of the UK’s two largest independent co-operatives have backed proposals for Central Co-op and the Midcounties Co-operative to merge to create a new society.
A spokesperson said it will be “business as usual” for the Midcounties Co-operative travel brands, which include the Your Co-op Travel chain. The Central Co-op does not have any travel businesses.
The societies – which also have food, funeral, utilities and childcare businesses – have endorsed the proposals which were announced in October, with formal approval granted on December 2.
In a statement, they said: “This decision will create the UK’s largest independent co-operative society, a major milestone for the movement, bringing together two regional powerhouses with the scale and capability to deliver greater value for more than one million members, 13,000 colleagues and communities nationwide.”
Its footprint will span Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire in the south and west, across the Midlands, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire, to Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire in the north, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk in the east.
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.”
Irene Kirkman, president of Midcounties, added: “This is an historic moment for our two societies and the co-operative movement.”
Elaine Dean, president of Central Co-op, said: “Thousands of members of both societies have voted, asked questions and considered the proposals we put to them and the strength of the backing we have received gives a groundswell of support to take our new society forward.”
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. 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.”
In the coming days, members will vote on a new legal name for the society and the legal completion is expected to conclude in January 2026.
Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star sites and stores will continue to trade under their existing brands, all of which carry the ‘coop’ identity. The new name will apply to the society’s legal entity only.
More: Midcounties Co-operative in talks with Central Co-op on ‘landmark merger’
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