• Sector
    • Agriculture
    • Banking and Insurance
    • Community
    • Credit Unions
    • Energy
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Mutuals
    • Regional Organisations
    • Retail
    • Worker co-ops
  • Topic
    • Business
    • Democracy
    • Development
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Equality
    • Fairtrade
    • Financial
    • History
    • Legal
    • Politics
    • Technology
    • Youth
  • Events
  • Have your say
  • Co-operative News Co-operative News

--

  • Follow us
    • Follow us on Facebook
    • Follow us on Twitter
    • Follow us on Linkedin
  • Login
  • Become a member
  •   0
    • No products in the cart.
  •   0
  • Editions: Global
  • United Kingdom
  • North America
  • Sector
    • Agriculture
    • Banking and Insurance
    • Community
    • Credit Unions
    • Energy
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Mutuals
    • Regional Organisations
    • Retail
    • Worker co-ops
  • Topic
    • Business
    • Democracy
    • Development
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Equality
    • Fairtrade
    • Financial
    • History
    • Legal
    • Politics
    • Technology
    • Youth
  • Events
  • Have your say
  • Latest News
  • Sector
    • Agriculture
    • Banking and Insurance
    • Community
    • Credit Unions
    • Energy
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Mutuals
    • Regional Organisations
    • Retail
    • Worker co-ops
  • Topic
    • Democracy
    • Development
    • Economy
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Equality
    • Fairtrade
    • Financial
    • History
    • Legal
    • Politics
    • Technology
    • Youth
  • Regions
    • [Tabs]
      • [Dynamic Terms]
        • [Dynamic Terms]
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Have your say
  • [Custom]

Return of the Co-op as Co-operative Group rebrands

The Co-operative Group is bringing back its iconic blue cloverleaf Co-op logo, which will be rolled out across its entire business over the next few years. The move...

By Rebecca Harvey
21 May 2016
By Rebecca Harvey
21 May 2016

The Co-operative Group is bringing back its iconic blue cloverleaf Co-op logo, which will be rolled out across its entire business over the next few years. The move was announced during the organisation’s AGM in Manchester on 21 May, with delegates given a first look at how the logo will be used in stores and on products.

The rebrand marks the announcement of changes that put membership at the heart of the organisation. From September, Co-op members will receive a 5% reward for any purchases they make of Co-op own brand products and services, which will be paid into a membership account. Members can then spend what they save in any Co-op business whenever they want.

A further 1% will benefit local causes through a new community reward scheme. The Co-op has identified 1,500 communities around the Food stores and Funeralcare homes in its trading areas where members will initially choose the local cause they want to support from a list of three selected by colleagues in that community. Later members will be able to propose local causes they think should benefit from the programme.

According to the Co-op, this means that more than £100m a year will be going directly to members and their communities, and there are also plans to bring back the dividend once “investment in rebuilding the Co-op” is completed.

See the new-look here:

[soliloquy id=”105739″]

“This is what the Co-op is all about,” said Richard Pennycook, CEO of the Co-op. “Big business is often accused of taking money out of communities – we are putting it back in as we champion a better way of doing business for our members and their communities.

Richard Pennycook announcing the Co-op brand and membership changes at the 2016 AGM
Richard Pennycook announcing the Co-op brand and membership changes at the 2016 AGM

“Our intention is to return to paying a dividend again, but we also want to make the rewards for members who trade with the Co-op more meaningful and community focused. We’re already seeing good momentum across our businesses and this will drive further growth which our members and their communities will benefit from. It clearly demonstrates the Co-op difference being delivered every day.”

Over 70,000 Co-op employees across the UK are also taking part in a ‘Back to being Co-op’ programme, helping to educate staff about the benefits of membership and reconnect them with our heritage through 5,000 colleague events.

Alongside this, the Group outlined a five-year ambition for growth:

–        To recruit one million new members  

–        To have 50% of sales across its businesses coming from Co-op members (currently 25% in its food business)

–        To return an additional £3 million in benefits to Fairtrade producer communities by extending its sourcing commitments

–        To make digital work for its businesses and its members and seek new digital opportunities to co-operate.

Allan Leighton, chair of the Co-op, said: “We are on the verge of creating a new Co-op economy, one where the trade from our members clearly benefits them, their communities and our thousands of suppliers.

“Our brand identity, whether seen on a Fairtrade bottle of wine, on a funeral home fascia or on our insurance website, will signify a better way of doing business.

Corporate use of the new logo has begun immediately, with the first stores being unveiled on Monday, 23 May. The Co-op hopes its introduction will provide “an iconic but contemporary identity which connects the Co-op with its heritage and the new membership scheme.”

The Co-op Cloverleaf was originally adopted in 1968, and later refreshed in the 1990s before it was widely replaced with ‘The Co-operative’ branding – but Lincolnshire Co-op and some other societies have continued to use the cloverleaf logo.

The launch of the original Co-op cloverleaf in Co-operative News, 6 January 1968
The launch of the original Co-op cloverleaf in Co-operative News, 6 January 1968

Discussions over rebranding the organisation began last year, with three potential new logos presented at the Group’s members’ council meeting on Saturday 5 December, by chief executive Richard Pennycook. In an interview with the News in March, Mr Pennycook said the three-year plan to reform the Group, was built upon “the past associations” of the Co-op and “150 years of doing the right thing”.

Look out for further analysis of the rebrand and membership offering here.

In this article
  • Allan Leighton
  • Central England Co-operative
  • CO-OPERATIVE Group
  • Cooperative
  • Logo
  • Midcounties Co-operative
  • Richard Pennycook
  • The Co-operative brand
  • The Co-operative Food
  • The Co-operative Funeralcare
  • The Co-operative Group
  • United Kingdom
  • anthonymurray
  • james
  • rebeccaharvey
  • Global
  • United Kingdom
  • Headline
  • Top Stories
  • rebeccaharvey
Rebecca Harvey

Rebecca Harvey is executive editor of Co-operative News.

Show More

PrevNext

Related News

  • Economy,  Financial,  Retail
    Midcounties staff move to new HQ
    15 February 2011
  • Democracy,  Housing,  Mutuals
    Cooperatives providing community services, a response to social needs
    15 November 2013
  • Business,  Retail
    New chief finance officer at Midcounties Co-op
    23 June 2022
  • Banking and Insurance,  Financial,  Retail
    Co-op Bank buys credit card business
    30 May 2003
  • Democracy,  Retail
    It’s our co-operative principles which we need to celebrate
    26 June 2012

Join the Conversation

Most viewed this week

  • Sector
    Employee-owned John Lewis is considering sale of minority stake to…
    21 March 2023
  • Credit Unions,  Environment
    Woccu issues credit union guide to global rules on sustainable…
    22 March 2023
  • Retail
    Southern Co-op gets ready to celebrate its 150th anniversary
    20 March 2023
  • Energy
    REScoop warns of problems with plans to redesign EU electricity…
    23 March 2023
  • Banking and Insurance
    Co-operative Bank of Kenya reports 30% growth in annual profit
    22 March 2023
At the AGM in Manchester on 21 May, Co-op Group members voted in favour of increasing pay across the enterprise Motion 16: Co-operative Group aims to take the lead on Living Wage
Previous
New life in New Lanark as community activities launch
Next

Follow us

 

About us
2022 AGM
Contact us
Privacy Policy
Useful Links

Live from Twitter

  • RT @CooperativesUK: Our research found that over half of young people could not name a single co-operative, but two out of three are lookin…20 hours ago
  • RT @coop_finance: Calling all community pubs in Scotland! @PlunkettFoundat invites you to network with other community pubs at th…20 hours ago
  • RT @CooperativesUK: ✨What an amazing line up of speakers ✨ We hope you were inspired by today’s sessions! #Coopretail @RoseMarley1 @jeevanj…20 hours ago
Back to top

© 2020 Co-operative Press Ltd.

Subscribe to the newsletter

Would you like co-operative updates straight to your inbox twice a month?

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Co-operative News
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.