Industry Retail (Wholesale) Founded 1832 | Headquarters Nuneaton Type of business Consumer Co-operative | |
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Key people >Ali Kurji, Chief Executive Products Grocer, Department Store, Funeral Director, Travel Agent, Sub Post Office Website www.heartofengland.coop | ||
The Heart of England Co-operative Society is an independent consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. Based in Nuneaton, the Society trades in the English counties of West Midlands, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
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Registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, the Society is a member of Co-operatives UK (formerly the Co-operative Union), the Co-operative Group (formerly Co-operative Wholesale Society) and its national buying scheme, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group.
History
The Heart of England Co-operative Society traces its origins to the Lockhurst Lane Industrial Co-operative Society founded by ribbon makers in the parish of Foleshill, Coventry in 1832. In 1968, Lockhurst Lane merged with the Coventry and District Co-operative Society, which had been formed as the Coventry Perseverance Co-operative Society in 1867.
Founded in 1844, East Mercia Co-operative Society was the product of a series of mergers, most recently between the Nuneaton and Atherstone District Co-operative Society and the Hinckley and Barwell Co-operative Society in 1980. The two businesses merged in 1992, forming the Coventry and East Mercia Co-operative Society before adopting the Heart of England name in 2000.
Activities
According to the International Co-operative Alliance, "A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically controlled enterprise."
Today, the Society operates The Co-operative Food. The seven Home and Living stores are being phased out and will soon be sold. The Co-operative Funeralcare and two Heart of England Co-operative travel branches. Four of its food stores also contain a Post Office counter. Membership is open to all residents of its trading area, with members receiving a share of the profits in the form of dividend.
Non-Food Closure
In September 2015 it was announced that the society was to close all of its non food division, the first store closure was its Coventry Home and Living store, which closed on the 24 October 2015.
The rest of the non food stores are due to close within the 12 months from September 2015.