Co-op News - February 2020

Co-op retailers are operating in a fast-changing and
competitive environment, with constant shifts in
consumer demand creating pressure to keep pace.
These pressures come from all directions;
consumers are demanding more choice and
convenience but at the same time are more ethically
aware in their shopping decisions. And there is
increased competition in the retail market, with
low cost disruptors and a volatile economy putting
pressure on the bottom line. Meanwhile, the leading
supermarket chains are taking a leaf from the
co-op sector’s book with their charity fundraising
and community support programmes. Asda, for
instance, now runs a network of more than 350
community champions who work with local groups
and charities.
This makes it important for co-op retailers to
work harder to assert their difference. High-profile
examples include the Co-op Group’s network of
member pioneers, its modern slavery campaign,
its commitments on single use plastic and work
developing compostable carrier bags. And there are
continued efforts across the retail sector to build
the latest energy-efficient technology into stores.
The co-op movement also made a strong
commitment to the Fairtrade movement after
Sainsbury’s broke away with its own certification.
These efforts continue: as Co-op News went to
press, the Group’s policy director Paul Gerrard, one
of the key players in its modern slavery campaign,
was attending a roundtable session in Brussels,
organised by EuroCoop, the European federation
of consumer co-ops, to discuss ways to build ethics
into supply chains.
Where the Group has drawn flak, it has responded
with campaigning work – for instance, after staff
protested that one-on-one shifts in its stores posed
a security risk, it launched its Safer Colleagues,
Safer Communities campaign. Similar initiatives on
crime and anti-social behaviour have been carried
out elsewhere in the retail co-op movement.
The demands of a fast-moving retail market has
pushed co-ops to form partnerships with other
businesses. The most recent to be announced by
the Co-op Group is a deal with sushi brand YO! to
supply its customers with Japanese food on the go.
The deal runs at the Group’s new store in
Moorgate, London, and meets the growing demand
for fresh fare. It will see the store stock more than
10 YO! products including vegan sushi, chicken
katsu bites and crispy salmon rolls. The store is the
third in the Group’s “on the go” format, following
launches at Manchester Piccadilly and London’s
America Square. It features the retailer’s newest
ethical innovations, including a free water refill
station and Gro vegan range.
But another growing area of consumer demand –
home shopping – has seen the Group form a
partnership with gig economy platform Deliveroo
on a grocery delivery scheme.
The advantages of partnering with Deliveroo,
which has gone through the costly business of
developing a workable app and has a ready-made
national network, is clear – but it is also one of a
number of platform operators to be criticised for
their employment practices. This has spurred the
rise of the platform co-op movement, extensively
covered by this magazine, which creates workerowned
alternatives. This includes CoopCycle,
a European federation of bicycle delivery
co-ops, some of which were formed by disgruntled
Deliveroo riders.
Dom Sztyber, a spokesman for the Independent
Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB), who has
worked as a Deliveroo rider, said: “There are huge
problems with Deliveroo and plenty of news articles
highlighting their appalling treatment of riders.
We’re very disappointed the Co-op has chosen to
BY MILES HADFIELD
"WORKING WITH COMPANIES LIKE DELIVEROO,
THAT EXPLOIT FREELANCE WORKERS BY
DENYING THEIR EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS,
IS THE ANTITHESIS OF PRINCIPLE 6"
38 | FEBRUARY 2020