The Co-operative Group - Co-operative Practices

Co-operative Practices

As a co-operative, the group places importance on ethical and transparent trading and reporting, and democratic accountability and participation. Retail trading areas are overseen by area committees of about ten to twelve members, which have annual elections and meetings for all members. These elect members onto regional boards, which meet annually to report to all members. A national board includes directors elected from regional boards, plus representatives of other societies, the corporate members. Individual stores may have member forums. Unlike a pure consumer co-operative, voting rights are shared between the corporate members and the individual consumer members, as described in an annual report:

Voting for corporate members is in proportion to trade with the Society. Each individual member has one vote in the appropriate region of the Society and each region has voting rights calculated on the same basis as a corporate member.

As the UK's largest co-operative, the group plays a key part in the co-operative movement. It is a major sponsor of new co-operative ventures, local initiatives through Co-operative Action and Fairtrade promotion.