Radstock Co-operative Society

Radstock Co-operative Society Limited
Company typeConsumer Co-operative
IndustryRetail, Agriculture
Founded1868
Headquarters
Radstock, Somerset
,
United Kingdom
Area served
Somerset, England
Key people
Don Morris CEO[1]
Revenue£47.9 million (2020/21)[2]
£745,000 (2020/21)[2]
£644,000 (2020/21)[2]
Total assets£13.4 million (2015/16)[3]
Members7,000 (2014)[1]
Number of employees
369 (2014)[1]
Websitewww.radstockcoop.co.uk

Radstock Co-operative Society is a small regional consumer co-operative, which was established in Radstock, Somerset, England in 1868 and in 2023 operated 21 food stores across Somerset, three with post office facilities, alongside a 1,000 acre farm.[4] It is owned and democratically controlled by its customer members, who numbered approximately 7000 in 2014.[1] The society grew from a turnover of £15 million in 2006 to over £35m by 2016, doubling the number of stores over the period.[5] The business has held the Fair Tax Mark since 2016.

In 2016, the society operated a large supermarket in Radstock and eighteen convenience shops in nearby areas.[3] The society also owns Manor Farm at Hardington, a dairy farm[2] which supplies a substantial portion of the organic milk sold through UK Co-operative Stores. It previously owned a Homemaker Furniture store.

In 2020 the society obtained planning permission to replace its Radstock "superstore" with a housing and new store development. The old single-storey building was beyond economical repair, and will be replaced with two three-storey buildings and a public square.[6] In August 2020 the store was moved to temporary premises for the duration of the redevelopment.[2] Demolition of the old building started in November 2022.[7]

The society participates in the British co-operative movement. As well as supplying cheese for national distribution by the Co-operative Retail Trading Group (CRTG) through a milk processor, it obtains food goods from the CRTG. It is a corporate member and shareholder of The Co-operative Group, a national business that is successor to the Co-operative Wholesale Society. In line with many retail co-operatives across the UK, during the late 2000s the society began converting its stores from the 1993 dark blue Co-op cloverleaf branding, to green “The co-operative food” fascias, alongside acquiring stores in Shepton Mallet and Coleford.[8][9]

Locations

Early delivery wagon of the Radstock Cooperative Society, Taken in Radstock Museum
The store in Coleford

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Report and Financial Statements - 52 week period ending 22 February 2014 (PDF) (Report). Radstock Co-operative Society. 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e Hadfield, Miles (24 May 2021). "Radstock Co-op returns to profit with operating surplus of £745k". Co-op News. Co-operative Press. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b Report and Financial Statements - 52 week period ending 27 February 2016 (PDF) (Report). Radstock Co-operative Society. 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Stores & Services". Radstock Co-operative Society. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  5. ^ Press, Susan (24 August 2007). "New Radstock chief gears up for Tesco fight". Co-operative News. Co-operative Press. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011.
  6. ^ Sumner, Stephen (28 October 2020). "Co-op committed too much to walk away from Radstock development". Bath Echo. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  7. ^ a b "As RADCO demolition gets underway, how will it affect local life?". The Midsomer Norton & Radstock Journal. 16 January 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Stores". Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  9. ^ "News: 140th Anniversary". Radstock Co-operative Society. 2008.
  10. ^ "Annual Report 2009/10". Radstock Co-operative Society. p. 3.
  11. ^ "Annual Report 2010/11" (PDF). Radstock Co-operative Society. p. 16.
  12. ^ a b "Annual Report 2011/12" (PDF). Radstock Co-operative Society. p. 18.
  13. ^ "Farrington Gurney Convenience Store Now Open". Radstock Co-operative Society. 20 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  14. ^ Thorne, John (13 March 2023). "Balloons, ribbon-cutting and a town crier as new Co-op store opens in Watchet". West Somerset Free Press. Retrieved 4 December 2023.