Metropol

Hymagumba wrote:Yes, unless there is an existing co-op nearby that means it has to close due to competition reasons.

not neccessarily, given that somerfield was bought by the co-operative group [the old manchester based cws]. there are vast swathes of the country where they have no presence as local societies dominate.

after the alldays purchase, stores outside of the group's territory were transferred to local societies, i don't think this has happened yet ... or perhaps they're going to hang on to them? or perhaps it needs to be a gradual transition, as i'm imagining many smaller societies couldn't afford to purchase and run quite a few extra, medium and large supermarkets at the drop of a hat.

still dead confusing to the punters though, as if somerfield stores start adopting the generic co-operative branding, it will only exacerbate the current situation. living close to two co-operatives, one mid counties and the other midlands, and i am a member of the latter. i can use my dividend card and dividend vouchers in one, but not the other. and yet they look identical.

Hymagumba wrote:The Co-Op dept store in Newcastle had the most stunning interior. The whole thing was 1920s faux-Egyptian art deco and the staircase banister had it's metal rail held by little men holding it up on their shoulders.

Oh God yes - sorry, just seen your post - what a fantastic building it is... unfortunately now dwarfed by that tacky Chavmagnet at the bottom, and the reconstruction of the Greenmarket opposite. In fact, I haven't actively looked at the Co-Op in years, but what a beautiful exterior, and so unlike everything else around it (especially down Stowell St).

I'm liking our new Co-op garage. It opened all day Christmas Day. That's more than can be said for Tesco and the other purveyors of fuel.

tvmercia wrote:

Hymagumba wrote:Yes, unless there is an existing co-op nearby that means it has to close due to competition reasons.

not neccessarily, given that somerfield was bought by the co-operative group [the old manchester based cws]. there are vast swathes of the country where they have no presence as local societies dominate.

after the alldays purchase, stores outside of the group's territory were transferred to local societies, i don't think this has happened yet ... or perhaps they're going to hang on to them? or perhaps it needs to be a gradual transition, as i'm imagining many smaller societies couldn't afford to purchase and run quite a few extra, medium and large supermarkets at the drop of a hat.

still dead confusing to the punters though, as if somerfield stores start adopting the generic co-operative branding, it will only exacerbate the current situation. living close to two co-operatives, one mid counties and the other midlands, and i am a member of the latter. i can use my dividend card and dividend vouchers in one, but not the other. and yet they look identical.

I think this might be happening with some, but for example - the Somerfield in Watton, Norfolk (which would naturally fit in the East of England or Anglian society) is part of the larger group - I think!! It's getting a bit tricky to tell now, what with the single identity and Membership card schemes being merged. Even the resistant Midlands Co-Op has given in, and is now dropping the 4-leaf logo - there's a rather tasty new store in Oakham (which could be a former Somerfield?).

Also on that same website, it appears that Midlands Co-Op has used Somerfield's 'That's the spirit' branding. Strange that Somerfield's branding is being used at all!

What surprises me most about the whole Somerfield takeover is the way the intensive advertising has continued for Somerfield with no Co-operative branding beyond the change in font.

WillPS wrote:What surprises me most about the whole Somerfield takeover is the way the intensive advertising has continued for Somerfield with no Co-operative branding beyond the change in font.

Actually I noticed the other day, one of the Somerfield adverts was advertising the sale of a Co-oprative branded own product. First time I've seen it anyway.

We seem to have had an bit of an explosion of co-ops in Manchester city centre. We used to only have the one (that I can think of) below the Co-operative Bank building, but now we have the former Somerfield at Piccadilly Gardens, one on Piccadilly Station approach and one on High Street, all opened in 2009 and not that far from each other.

My Foodstore, Somerfield's & Petrol Stops are the only stores yet to adopt Co-operative branding, and one Foodstore and one Somerfield are almost side by side, with the Foodstore being the store there first, and the Somerfield opening a few days before the Co-op bought them. Also, they are both using the 'That's the Spirit' branding.

It seems the nationwide Co-op food stores are using it: http://www.co-operative.coop/food/

I'm 90% sure it was a Somerfield thing though.

WillPS wrote:The last one remaining was in Mansfield, and was sold to Anglia Regional Co-operative Society who have rebranded it as 'Westgate Department Store'.

For Scunthorpe, this. Quite how North Lincolnshire falls under Anglia and not Lincolnshire is beyond me.

There was also an Ilkeston Co-Op Travel in Scuneh for about four or five years, but that's now gone too.

I think I said this before in the other thread, but in Blackwood:

Up until approx 1993/4 : Leo's (Co-op)
1993/4-97: Pioneer
1997 - 2007: Co-operative Pioneer
2007 - 2009: Co-Operative
2009 -present: Sainsbury's

In Earl Shilton in Leicestershire on the main road (The Hollow, A47) the store rebranding went as follows:

Supermarket:
Lo-Cost
Co-Operative Pioneer
Co-Op
Co-Operative Food

Whereas, opposite, there was another Co-Op store, which is now sadly closed.

In Barwell, again in Leicestershire, there was a Co-Op (Coventry & East Mercia Society) which is now a Co-Operative Food and also a Co-Op Homemaker which is now again closed. Oh, and not forgetting the Co-Op Pharmacy on the High Street.

In Hinckley they had the Co-Op Department Store which housed everything from the food store, electrical, clothing, bank (albeit only one window) and a cafe. The store still stands.

In Sheffield the old Co-Op Department Store is now mainly closed. All that's left is the Post Office, Travel Agent and small food hall, although this has moved to a different place within the store.

The East of England Co-operative Society use cards to let customers Dividend. Your share in our profits, as they call it. And a few months ago the Co-operative sent cards out to the EOFCS members that worked in Co-operative shops. EOFCS realised this after a lot of customer cut their old cards up. The Co-operative cards do not work in EOF stores and so a lot of winging came too.