The Co-operative Group

The Co-operative Group Limited, trading as Co-op, is a British consumer co-operative with a group of retail businesses including grocery retail and wholesale, legal services, funerals and insurance retailing. The Co-operative Group has over 65,000 employees across the UK. The group has its headquarters in One Angel Square in Manchester. The Group also manages the Co-operative Federal Trading Services, formerly the Co-operative Retail Trading Group (CRTG), which sources and promotes goods for food stores of the co-operative movements of the UK, notably under mandate to deploy buying power to develop and source ethical goods, including ecologically less damaging, fairly traded, consumer focused lines, following the legacy of a strong stance against the practices of the confederate slaveholders and [confederate] cotton. The Group formally managed a retail buying group in travel, workplace clothing and other commodities, including wheat. Today The Group also manages a federal buying group for end of life care, including more than 40% of coffins prepared for clients at U.K cooperatives, produced in union recognizing factories in England, from FCSC endorsed supplies of timber. The society has GBP denominated securities listed on the London Stock Exchange, primarily financing its operational development via retained members resources, member subscriptions, yield bearing marketed bonds and a banking syndicate. In addition and beyond its support for the UK and worldwide co-operative society movement, Rochdale and Manchester as homes of co-operation, the political party of the movement and communities at home and abroad, the industrial and provident society continues to offer risk capital accounts (Member Share Accounts) to all members, opened with the initial subscription of £1 GBP and the opportunity to record trade to participate in its share of the profits, dividend scheme, where surplus profits can be declared and agreed at the annual meeting of the societies active members.