In 2001 the group became the first retailer to include Braille writing on its range of medicines and alcoholic drinks, a move which received three industry awards. [183] In 2015 Braille can also be found on many products, including breakfast cereals. [185] [186] Langdale & Neighbourhood Industrial Co-op Society". Shop directory. Village Retail Services Association. Archived from the original on 23 June 2008 . Retrieved 23 August 2008.

In 2002 the Co-op launched its degradable carrier bags, however, these were later withdrawn in favour of recyclable and reusable bags. However, with the increasing prevalence of council refuse collection services across the UK which compost food and garden waste, the Co-op launched a new carrier bag in 2014 which could be used to by the customer to line their food waste bin once they had used the bag to get their shopping home. [208] All profits from the sale of the entire carrier bag range (above the legal charge) are distributed to community projects. During the 1980s, the CWS began to merge with a number of failing co-operative societies, having returned to direct retailing after its merger with the SCWS the decade before. These mergers with consumers' co-operatives led to the co-op having both corporate (co-op societies) and individual members, hence making it both a primary and secondary co-operative. [6] The CWS's expansion into direct retailing (especially after the mergers of the 2000s) led to the CWS becoming a highly visible business in the UK. The legacy of this was that many people perceive the British co-operative movement to be one business, The Co-operative Group, or co-op for short. [5] Modernisation and takeover attempts (1990–1999) [ edit ]

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Alison Benjamin (28 January 2009). "Co-op bans eight pesticides after worldwide beehive collapse". The Guardian . Retrieved 29 November 2015. The CWS, under the leadership of Graham Melmoth, was able to defend itself from this takeover bid, largely by informing Regan's creditors that his hostile takeover was based upon dubiously sourced data and bad business practices. The deal also failed because Regan had greatly misunderstood the CWS' complicated ownership structure, assuming that by paying off the 500,000 'active members' he could gain control of the CWS. Manifesto for a community energy revolution" (PDF). The Co-operative Group and Co-operatives UK. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2015 . Retrieved 4 June 2015. The Cooperative Film Festival is coming to Bradford". Bradford City of Film. 16 May 2013 . Retrieved 27 January 2023. Food: Animal welfare". co-operative.coop. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015 . Retrieved 29 November 2015.

what we're doing". co-operative.coop. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010 . Retrieved 29 November 2015. The Co-operative Food commended for palm oil use – Food News UK". The Co-operative Food news. Archived from the original on 11 December 2015 . Retrieved 29 November 2015. Details of those people who are members of the Group Board and the Group Executive are provided here. Details are correct as of 2016. Firstly, the process of deindustrialization, that had characterised the period led to serious economic difficulties in many of the movements heartlands (notably the northern industrial towns), which disproportionally impacted on the societies through a decrease in consumer spending despite the British economy seeing a rise in overall consumer disposable income. This was largely due to the strong increase in wealth and social inequality in the UK at this time. The co-operative movement was not well placed to tap into this increase in middle class spending due to the geographic spread of its stores and The Co-op's historic association as the shop for the "working poor". Annual Report and Financial Statements" (PDF). Heart of England Co-operative Society. 20 January 2007: 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009 . Retrieved 11 January 2008. {{ cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= ( help)The Co-operative movement started with the Rochdale Pioneers. The original shop is preserved as the Rochdale Pioneers Museum. The Co-op receives near-record fine for fire safety failings | Wire-Free Protection Limited". Archived from the original on 29 May 2010 . Retrieved 26 September 2014. The Co-operative Group facilitates, takes part in or owns services provided for other UK consumer co-operative societies, supports community concerns and projects and runs ethical and social campaigns and advertising and events which correspond to the interests and values of the democratic society and the wider community.