Co-op
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1846
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Co-op firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Co-op
- Legal name
- Co-operative Group Limited
- Website
- https://coop.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1846
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Co-op industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Grocery Retail
- NAICS
- Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (812210), Cemeteries and Crematories (812220)
- SIC
- Retail-Grocery Stores (5411), Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Member-Owned Food Cooperatives (CRAHALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH)
Keywords
Where Co-op is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Co-op business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Food and Retail Sales: Primary revenue stream from grocery retail operations across 2,500+ convenience stores. Retail division revenue dropped to £7bn with overall group revenues declining 2.3% to just over £11bn.
- Funeral Services: Co-op operates funeral homes and crematoria across the UK, forming a significant business unit alongside retail operations. The proposed acquisition of Southern Co-op would add crematoria to the portfolio.
- Membership and Loyalty: Co-op's member-owned model generates revenue through member engagement and loyalty programs, with 6.5 million members (targeting 8 million by 2030). Members receive personalised offers and value through the cooperative structure.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Co-op product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Co-op operates a member-owned cooperative business providing grocery retail through 2,500+ convenience stores across the UK, funeral care services including funeral homes and crematoria, and an online grocery platform (shop.coop) with integrated loyalty offers. The cooperative engages 6.5 million members through personalised offers and community-focused services including parcel collection, bill payments, bakery items, and Costa Express coffee.
Product overview
Co-operative Group (Co-op) is a member-owned retail and funeral care business operating a multi-format portfolio. The core offerings include Co-op Food (grocery retail across 2,500+ convenience stores), Co-op Funeral Services (funeral homes and crematoria), and Co-op's loyalty membership program (6.5+ million members). The company has expanded its digital presence through Co-op Media Network (digital advertising screens) and online shopping via shop.coop with integrated loyalty offers. Co-op is also deploying innovative in-store technology including Flexi Checkout smart tills and parcel collection services via Amazon, DPD, and InPost. An acquisition of Southern Co-op (300 outlets) is pending, which would expand its footprint across southern England.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Co-op Food (Grocery) Convenience grocery retail offering food, fresh produce, bakery, ready meals, Costa Express coffee, and everyday essentials across over 2,500 stores in the UK. Targets UK consumers seeking nearby convenience shopping with extended hours.
- Co-op Funeral Services Funeral care services including funeral homes and crematoria across the UK. Part of the group's expansion through the Southern Co-op acquisition that would add crematoria to the portfolio.
- Co-op Loyalty Membership Member-owned loyalty programme with approximately 6.5 million members (targeting 8 million by 2030), offering personalised weekly offers available both in-store and online, plus member-only discounts and rewards. Members collectively own and govern the cooperative.
- Co-op Online Shopping (shop.coop) E-commerce platform enabling online grocery shopping with loyalty integration, allowing members to access personalised offers online alongside in-store shopping.
- Co-op Media Network Digital out-of-home advertising network spanning over 2,300 UK stores with 1,000+ digital screens. Sells advertising inventory to brands and agencies seeking retail point-of-purchase audience reach.
Quantifiable outcome
- Potential savings of over £80 annually through loyalty programme use
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Co-op
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Co-op technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Co-op partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Diebold NixdorfcoreTechnology supplier for 'flexi checkouts' - smart tills that can switch between self-service and cashier-operated modes. First UK supermarket to use this technology, launching across 150 stores by April 2026.
- BuffaloadcoreFive-year logistics contract renewal for ambient goods distribution from Coventry national distribution centre to 11 regional centres across the UK. Partnership includes sustainability focus with LNG trucks and bio-LNG from food and agricultural waste.
- PodbackminorCoffee pod recycling trial launched to promote sustainable disposal of coffee pods as part of Co-op's environmental initiatives.
- UNISONminorUNISON signed a sublet agreement to occupy 11,927 sq ft at Co-op's One Angel Square headquarters in Manchester, advancing Co-op's hybrid-work strategy.
- HMPastiesminorCo-op listed HMPasties in a landmark deal supporting employment for prison leavers across Manchester stores.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Co-op competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tesco: The UK's largest grocery retailer with ~4,000 stores including a large convenience (Tesco Express) footprint directly overlapping Co-op's neighbourhood positioning; competes head-to-head on price, loyalty (Clubcard) and range.
Direct peers
- Sainsbury's: Major UK grocer operating supermarkets and a convenience (Sainsbury's Local) estate, with a Nectar loyalty programme analogous to Co-op's member scheme; most directly comparable on store count, product mix and member/loyalty strategy.
- Aldi: Hard-discount German grocer aggressively expanding UK store count and the reference competitor in Co-op's price-match scheme; key threat on price-led grocery baskets.
- Lidl: Hard-discount competitor with a fast-growing UK estate; competes directly with Co-op on price and convenience-format locations.
- Morrisons: UK grocer with strong fresh/manufacturing heritage; competes in both grocery and adjacent services, providing a useful benchmark for UK grocery operating models.
- Asda: UK grocer with a significant convenience and supermarket estate; a private-equity-owned competitor comparable to Co-op on ownership structure and pricing-led positioning.
- Waitrose: Premium UK grocer and part of the John Lewis Partnership (mutual/cooperative-like structure); directly comparable to Co-op on values-led retail, member ownership ethos and convenience footprint.
- M&S Food: M&S's food hall and convenience-store push directly competes with Co-op on quality-led grocery, prepared meals and bakery - overlapping in urban and suburban catchments.
- Dignity plc: UK-listed funeral services operator; a direct peer for Co-op's funeralcare arm and the most relevant comparable given Co-op's pending crematoria expansion via the Southern Co-op acquisition.
- Iceland: UK frozen and convenience food specialist with a comparable store-count profile; competes for the same value-conscious UK shopper in neighbourhood locations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Co-op social profiles
Digital presenceCo-op financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Co-op leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Co-op subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Co-op funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Co-op M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Co-op
What does Co-op do?
Co-op operates a member-owned cooperative business providing grocery retail through 2,500+ convenience stores across the UK, funeral care services including funeral homes and crematoria, and an online grocery platform (shop.coop) with integrated loyalty offers. The cooperative engages 6.5 million members through personalised offers and community-focused services including parcel collection, bill payments, bakery items, and Costa Express coffee.
Is Co-op a public or private company?
Co-op is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Co-op founded?
Co-op was founded in 1846. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Co-op based?
Co-op is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Co-op make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Food and Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are funeral Services and membership and Loyalty.
Who are Co-op's main competitors?
Tesco is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Asda, Waitrose, M&S Food, Dignity plc and Iceland.
Does Co-op have an API?
No public API is recorded for Co-op.
What industry is Co-op in?
Co-op's product category is Grocery Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAA, Member-Owned Food Cooperatives, with a secondary code of CRAHALAH, Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery. Its NAICS code is 4451 and its SIC code is 5411.