What benefits does the COOP bring?

mcallister1

The best thing about our co op is that not only do they reduce the meat and fish down to rock bottom prices, for Eco reasons, but then the two for $5 dealstill kick in, sometimes leaving them almost free or into negative numbers. Love it. Just make sure something else is in your basket.

grizzly1911

Sunnyday wrote: »

I wonder if the difference in prices is reflected by the difference in costs of running each store?


Some of the big supermarkets are now starting to charge different prices in different areas too :eek:

SD

Perfectly valid point especially on rent these days. "The undercover Economist" makes that point well re coffee shops. Still 15/20% differences on basics is irritating.

I think supermarkets have banded areas for sometime when our W was a Safeway, a friend of ours, who worked there then, told us it was a top tier store.

blossomhill_2

We have been amazed at the size of the divi cheques over the last few years - banking with them, the odd bits of shopping, plus booking holiday and, sadly, paying for a funeral, meant we got a really good return. Plus we did member events such as a beach clean up which felt really good and taught us a lot - they rock!

foxgloves

I agree, as I said in my previous longer post, the divi points on the plastic card seem to work well for us. I like the fact that you can just empty the points as cash into an account & I'm often popping in & paying in £30 here & £20 there and so together with an annual member's bonus of around £100 in November, I think we do very well out of it. Once there's more than, I think, £100 in a member's account, they even pay a little bit of iinterest. Not much, but our current account pays nothing, so at least they're trying.

juno

The "divi" is not a loyalty scheme as such. By having a card you become a member of the co-operative and can vote on issues and go to the annual meetings. They pay out twice a year and also occasionally send coupons at other times. You can use your card at any of the family of businesses, and they recently opened their online pharmacy.

Their community fund helps local groups and you can choose to donate some of your share of the profits if you wish.

They have a "Plan Bee" campaign to save bees as bee numbers are declining.

They have a lot of fair trade work - all their own brand tea and coffee is fair trade! They were the first UK supermarket to support fairtrade, and also the first to launch a fairtrade reusable bag. In fact, they have so many firsts that I could be here all day telling you.

They do not stock battery hen eggs.

Their lunchtime "meal deal" is excellent value - you get a sandwich, sushi or gingsters pie plus a snack and a drink for £3. The Boots meal deal is £3.29 now.

x_Bunny_x

Co-op is expensive i think. The card you get they give you a share of the profilts each june and november. First time i got a card the letter came in and they'd took £1 off my profits to pay for the card!. Something they never told me about.

They always have a reduced section although on ours its mainly reduced pasties, and packs of youghurts with the same date on. Who will eat a packet of 16 yoghurts that same day??!!.

My card login they have blocked as i didnt get the password right, even though it was my place of birth!. How could i get that wrong?. So it's blocked, so i cant check my point balance. The shop is of for top up things, but Asda is better.

They are just relying on the older people or the ones with no cars, as asda's are mainly a little too far to get a bus or taxi too without the bill been a little high.

I know the co-op have been around for years, but they seem a little old fashioned now with the prices, and its stupid because if they lowered their prices it would be fantastic and they'd get lots more shoppers going there instead of to other shops.

Reverbe

blossomhill wrote: »

We have been amazed at the size of the divi cheques over the last few years - banking with them, the odd bits of shopping, plus booking holiday and, sadly, paying for a funeral, meant we got a really good return. Plus we did member events such as a beach clean up which felt really good and taught us a lot - they rock!

I think Blossoms getting the money I used to gte with britannia:rotfl:

libertysurf

The local co-op is tatty and expensive, and depressing. So imagine my delight when the Britannia loyalty letter arrived today and instead of cash as it used to be, it’s vouchers to spend in this awful shop. I want to decide myself where I spend my money. They aren’t cooperating but coercing.
As it's so expensive the value is much reduced!
The letter seems to be overjoyed at the treats the Co-op offers. Can I have a glass of whatever the writer is drinking?

libertysurf

Well I was so incensed at this that I phoned them up. I was told I could cash them at any shop!
So the letter that accompanied the coupons, which takes a lot of space overstating the offer, does not mention this. I am shocked at the deceit involved from the holier than thou Coop. Which has also taken some of our pennies for its own charity, thank you very much.

I am left with a sour taste in the mouth. Must have been that glass I had earlier.

cactuspotty

I wouldn't call the Co-op a local shop. I know it's split into different societies across the country but the main Co-op Group is the fifth biggest supermarket chain now that it has bought Somerfield. It's also got a store in every postcode and has got more stores than Tesco. Where I live there's three of them very close together and they're expensive, have long queues, run out of stocks quickly and when I go there to find an advertised deal, they don't stock the products!