The backbone of the UK co-operative movement was built on retail. The original Rochdale Society set up its shop to provide affordable, unadulterated foods – including flour, sugar, tea and oatmeal – to its members, and the proliferation of replicated consumer co-ops saw a peak of nearly 1,500 different societies in the early 19th century.
Today, 14 societies are remaining (the Group, OurCoop, Scotmid, Heart of England, Tamworth, Radstock, Lincolnshire, East of England, Southern, Clydebank, Allendale, Langdale, Coniston and Grosmont) alongside a number of other wholefoods and grocery co-operative businesses. According to Co-operatives UK’s 2025 Co-op and Mutual Economy Report, 752 UK co-ops operate in retail, with a combined income of £29.1bn.
Retail co-ops are still big business, and in the UK, the sector is gathering in Glasgow in March for the Co-op Retail Conference – one of Co-operatives UK’s flagship sectoral events. Hosted annually for over two decades, it is built around the specific needs of consumer-owned retail societies, bringing together senior leaders, boards and management teams to share insight, tackle common challenges and shape what comes next for co‑operative retail.
This year, delegates will hear analysis from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), CEO discussions on what co-operation at scale looks like in practice, and sessions on the role of values, personalisation and education in retail.
It remains relevant, says Co-operatives UK CEO Rose Marley, because the event “is made with and for our members”.
She explains: “The conference is only relevant if it delivers on the needs of our consumer-owned retail society members. We ensure the retailers are a driving force, with input into the programme and content. I speak to all the CEOs around Christmas time and check in to see what they think we need to be talking about. The sponsors of the CEO and presidents forum (this year Scotmid) also have particular influence in strategy discussions. It remains the only national conference for co-operative retailers that brings together senior leaders, boards and management teams to share insight and best practice; to tackle common problems together; to shape what comes next.”
Delivering positive impact for these members matters to the whole movement, says Marley, “because consumer-owned retail societies are a major part of the UK co-operative story, worth nearly £15bn to the UK economy each year. As some of our largest subscribers, they help underpin the wider work we do across the movement, from policy influence and development programmes to specialist, member-discounted HR and governance advice. That is Principle 6 – co-operation among co-operatives – in action. Co-operatives working together, with that shared ambition turned into practical support and collective impact.
“[The conference] has always evolved with the movement’s needs. To stay valuable, it has to reflect what members need now. This year, we’ve welcomed stronger input from our partner credit union members, exploring how financial co-operatives and retail societies can work together to strengthen member value, community impact and local resilience.”
Co-op retailers have faced a rolling set of pressures over the last decade, from the shock of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, to intense competition from discounters, rising operating costs, and growing exposure to cyber risk, alongside longer-term shifts in consumer behaviour and technology.
Related: Reports from previous Co-op Retail Conferences
Marley says that while some of these challenges are shared across the whole retail sector, the co-operative proposition is distinctive. “Retail societies are values-led businesses owned and controlled by members, which means they can respond with a long-term view, stay close to what communities need, and face change together, not just as competitors but as a movement.
There’s wider, movement challenges as well,” she adds. “Co-operative education matters. So how will the recent changes to the Co‑operative College model impact the education offering? We’re starting that conversation at the conference with representatives from the College, Co-op Group, our own Youth Ambassador, as well as academics from the University of Northumbria and Saint Mary’s University in Canada. Everything is on the table including: curriculum, apprenticeships, higher education provisions.”
Core elements of the conference remain “because they are practical and consistently valued,” while the mix around them changes. Looking ahead, Co-operatives UK believes there is scope to bring in additional sectors that can work with the consumers in Principle 6 such as agricultural co-operative partners.
“The links between agri co-ops and consumer co-operatives are clear,” says Marley, “from ethical sourcing and supply chain resilience to keeping more value in the hands of producers and communities. Again, we go back to Principle 6 – co-operatives working together in ways that make the whole movement stronger.”
Related: New markets, new products: Scotland’s agri co-ops face the future
Over recent years, there has been an intentional shift to include a greater international outlook.
“There are such brilliant examples of success and innovation when it comes to co-operative retail in Europe – and further afield,” says Marley. “It feels even more important off the back of the 2025 International Year of Co-operatives – such a great year of connections with the global movement. At the conference we’re looking in particular at the acceleration of the personalisation experience, leveraging AI, Data, technology and gamification to drive customer loyalty with a number of examples including from Coop Denmark.”
The 2026 event is taking place in Glasgow, a city steeped in co-operative history.
“We’re also thrilled to be working with Lobyco – our main sponsor for the first time at Co-op Retail Conference. They have great experience and an understanding of our sector and the needs of our largest retail members. We also have two evening sponsors: the Thursday Welcome Dinner is proudly sponsored by Marsanz and Joalpe, in partnership with Formbar. And the Friday Gala Dinner is sponsored by Longwall Security.
“Altogether, we have more than 25 organisations represented, including delegates, exhibitors and speakers. We’re looking forward to a really fantastic few days!”
What is she most looking forward to?
“You mean apart from the ceilidh?! This feels like one of the most significant periods for the co-operative retail sector, with the mergers taking place in the last six months, and a changing landscape for the retail sector as a whole,” says Marley. “So I am really looking forward to the ‘New Horizons’ panel which I will be chairing. It really does feel like an important moment to unite together to around our co-operative difference. I am a Kirsty Wark fan-girl as well so the credit union session might become really impactful with her interrogation into the opportunities there.
“We’ve fantastic experts around the retail and grocery sector, as well as experienced passionate advocates for consumer owned retail. It’s going to be brilliant to have the kind of conversations you only get when co-operatives come together in one room. Conversations that we hope will set the tone for the rest of the year.”
See the full line-up at uk.coop/crc
