Co-operative Retail Services (or CRS) was the second-largest consumer co-operative society in the UK. In 2000, it merged (though many believe it to be a takeover) with the largest Co-op, CWS, to form the Co-operative Group.
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History
In 1933, CWS formed a retail division tasked with taking over failing co-operative societies and setting up shop in new areas. This division was demerged to form Co-operative Retail Services during 1957 [1]. The demerger was prompted by complications with CWS's democratic structure: it was becoming a larger retailer in its own right but was not actually a consumer co-operative, meaning that its customer-members had little representation on the board. During the mid 1990s CRS began an ambitious investment programme. The society saw the CWS-led Co-op brand to be old and out-dated and began a huge refurbishment programme of its ageing and neglected stores under the new 'Co-operative' identity. Slow to adopt the commonplace EPoS systems for its tills, and still pricing products individually rather than using barcode scanners, it also invested in information technology. In 2000, these changes and improvements were overtaken by events, as CRS was merged back into CWS. Over the following few years, the rebranding efforts were reversed as stores were converted into CWS-designed formats - which included the re-introduction of the traditional CWS-style Co-op logo.
Trading operations
Food
The largest proportion of the business (93% of all sales) was devoted to food retailing in over 500 stores. The society had a wide range of stores including superstores (15,000sq ft+), medium-sized supermarkets (5,000-15,000 sq ft) and small convenience stores (<5,000 sq ft). At the end of the 1990s, superstores and supermarkets were branded 'Co-operative Pioneer' (a nod to the movement's heritage of the Rochdale Pioneers) while most smaller convenience stores would carry the 'Co-operative Local' brand. Previously, CRS had used a variety of brands, including Leo's and Stop & Shop.
Non-food
The Society operated department stores based in town and city centres. Most of these stores carried the 'Co-operative Living' brand. Department stores were located in: Bangor, Barnsley, Barnstaple, Basildon, Bath, Birkenhead, Blackwood, Boscombe, Bridgend, Burnley, Bury St. Edmunds, Cambridge, Cardiff, Chippenham, Colwyn Bay, Crawley, Doncaster, Halifax, Hammersmith, Hemel Hempstead, Hereford, Herne Bay, Huddersfield, Leeds, Leigh, Letchworth, Llandudno, Llanelli, Merthyr Tydfil, Nelson, Newmarket, Pembroke Dock, Pontefract, Reading, Romford, Scunthorpe, St Austell, Stevenage, Stratford, Swansea, Taunton, Trowbridge, Wells, Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth, Worcester, Wrexham, Yeovil. Larger, out-of-town stores carrying a larger range of lines - but no clothing or cosmetics - carried the 'Co-operative HomeWorld' brand. These stores were located in: Carn Brea, Catcliffe, Coventry, Exeter, Filton, Hedge End, Talbot Green.
Funerals
Car dealerships
The Society operated a few car dealership sites under the Herbert Robinson name. These sites were absorbed into the Priory Motor Group post-merger.
