Radstock Co operative Society

Radstock Co-operative Society is a small regional consumer co-operative, which was established in Radstock, Somerset in 1868 and today operates fifteen food stores and across Somerset alongside a 1000 acre farm. It is owned and democratically controlled by its customer members, who numbered approximately 7000 in 2014. The society grew from a turnover of £15 million in 2006 to over £35m by 2016, doubling the number of stores over the period. The business has held the Fair Tax Mark since 2016.

The society operates a large supermarket in Radstock and fourteen convenience shops in nearby areas. The supermarket has non-food departments including a travel agent, post office, furniture, clothing, electrical goods, housewares and garden supplies. The society also owns Manor Farm, an organic dairy and egg farm which supplies a substantial portion of the organic milk sold through UK Co-operative Stores. It previously owned a Homemaker Furniture store.

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.