Anglia Regional Co-operative Society Limited was the fifth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the merger of the Greater Peterborough Regional and Anglia (formerly Waveney) co-operative societies in 1987. The Society had over 80 stores, principally trading in East Anglia.Annual Report and Accounts Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 6 September 2008 Head office was located at Westgate House, Peterborough until 2011.
The Society was a registered Industrial and Provident Society,Registered in England and Wales under the Companies Act 1985, No. 8644R a member of the Co-operative Union, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of The Co-operative Group (formerly Co-operative Wholesale Society), the largest consumer co-operative in the world.Section VII Administration (70) Rules of the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 10 February 2005
On 19 September 2013, it was announced that the boards of Anglia Co-operative Society and Midlands Co-operative Society had agreed merger terms. Approved by members on 4 and 18 November, legal completion of the merger took place on 1 December, with the Society transferring engagements to Midlands Co-operative.Together as One For members and employees of Anglia Co-operative Society Anglia Regional Co-operative Society and Midlands Co-operative Society, 19 September 2013 On 15 January 2014, members of the merged society approved a change of name to Central England Co-operative effective from 25 January 2014.Society trades as Central England Co-operative Anglia Regional Co-operative Society (retrieved 16 January 2014)
Trading
Under its rules, "The objects of the Society [were] to carry on the business of a store-keeper, general dealer and universal provider in all its branches, and in particular to buy, sell, manufacture, produce, grow, cultivate and deal in goods, stores, consumable articles, chattels and effects of all kinds, both wholesale and retail and generally to engage in any business, trade or industry which may seem to the Society directly or indirectly conducive to the interests or convenience of the Society's members or any section thereof".Section I Interpretation (4) Rules of the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 10 February 2005 In addition, the aims stated, "The Society shall at all times conduct its business and affairs in accordance with the Rochdale Principles of Co-operation, as published from time to time by the International Co-operative Alliance, serving the needs of its customers, employees and the communities in which it trades".Part of an amendment of the rules acknowledged by the Financial Services Authority on 30 January 2002 In practice, the Society's principal undertakings at the time of merger with the Midlands Society, besides food and fuel retail, comprised the provision of funeral, optical, travel and foreign exchange services.Interim Statement of Trading Activities Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 21 February 2009 Its previous engagements include department and furniture stores, motor car dealerships, dispensing chemists, dairy and bakery.A Romance of Co-operation (1941) East Anglian Film Archive, Cat. No. 1317 (retrieved 11 December 2011)
Expansion In 2004, United Co-operatives, based in the North West of England, announced that it no longer intended to include department stores in its primary strategy, leading to the sale of seven stores, mostly inherited from the Yorkshire Co-operative Society, to the Anglia Society.Interim Statement of Trading Activities Other trading activities United Co-operatives, 23 July 2005 In 2005, the Co-operative Group also announced its decision to exit the department store sector and, in 2006, a further seven stores, this time located in the South East of England, were transferred to the Anglia Society.By transfer of engagements of Kent Co-operative Society; see Annual Report and Accounts Property, production and other trading The Co-operative Group, 11 April 2007Usdaw welcomes sale of Co-op department stores to Anglia Co-operative Society Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, 13 January 2006 The Group subsequently merged with United in 2007. Thus, through acquisition, many Westgate branches were situated further afield than the core Eastern region.
The name was taken from the Society's late nineteenth century headquarters, home of the original Westgate House Department Store on Park Road, Peterborough.
In 2007, the Society—by now the largest in the non-food sector—formed the Anglia Buying Service, making its buying and logistics expertise available to other co-operatives.Anglia ready to take over buying role Co-operative News, 25 June 2006 In 2008, it launched an electronic commerce venture, selling bedroom, living and dining room furniture, with free delivery throughout Great Britain.Anglia Co-op launches online furniture shop Retail Week, 29 October 2008
Divestment
In 2011, the business of 19 Westgate Department Stores, including Contact Electrical and Comfortmaker Textile Superstores was divested to J E Beale for £7.5m. Ownership of the freehold properties remained with the Society, which continued to operate AHF furniture and carpets, Co-operative Travel, Westgate Optical and Stylistics hair and beauty concessions; Beales committed to maintain and honour the dividend at these branches, until replaced by their Love Rewards scheme the following year.Anglia Co-operative Society to sell Westgate Department Stores to Beale Plc Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, 6 April 2011 The Co-operative Home store in Hartlepool and Westgate stores at Blyth, Scunthorpe and March were not included in the sale. The site of the March store was sold to Reef Estates and the premises leased to Boyes, although the Co-operative Travel branch previously based there was unaffected, relocating to its own premises.King, Elaine EXCLUSIVE: Shocked staff at Westgate in March informed of its closure this morning Cambridgeshire Times, 29 March 2011 The Hartlepool store closed when the Society's 10-year lease expired later that year.Jobs to go in store closure Peterlee Mail, 7 September 2011 The Blyth and Scunthorpe stores continued to trade as Westgate for the time being due to devalued freehold and a long running lease, although it was reported that management were "reviewing the format and pursuing any opportunities that give the stores and the staff the best prospects for the future".Bowman, Dave Co-operative News, 6 April 2011 A buyer was eventually found for the Blyth store, but not as a going concern and it ceased trading in 2013.Major outlet closure plan brings ghost town fears News Post Leader, 11 April 2013 Central England Co-operative finally disposed of the Scunthorpe store to Oldrids & Co. in 2016.Cole, Nick New owners and name for Scunthorpe department store Westgate Scunthorpe Telegraph, 9 September 2016
Later in 2011, AHF Home Furnishings was transferred to Anglia Home Furnishings Holdings as a going concern. A partner of the Society, Anglia Home Furnishings is the largest employee-owned co-operative in the UK.Registered in England and Wales No. 7760501 The sale included ARCS Internet, trading as Co-op Furniture, the online store of AHF and Westgate, which was renamed AHF Internet.Registered in England and Wales No. 1513710, formerly as Anglia (Home Furnishings) Ltd.
Membership Co-operative societies are owned and controlled by their members on the principle of one member one vote and the Anglia Society operated on that basis, giving all members equal voting rights. Each member was required to hold at least one share of £1 which was paid in full on entering the Society. Organisations were also eligible to join.Section IV Capital (17) Rules of the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 10 February 2005 Agreed by the membership, the Society's rules provided for a board of ten, three of whom may have been employees of the Society, to be elected by the annual general meeting. The full board met monthly and sub-committees met quarterly or less frequently.Section VI Directors (36a) Rules of the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 10 February 2005
Dividend is a share of the profits made by the Society. The rate of dividend was recommended to members by the board of directors and put to a vote. Members had an opportunity at the point of sale to donate their dividend to the Anglia Co-operative Community Fund (Share 600), the proceeds of which were presented each year to three or four charities nominated by the board.Section VIII Application of Profits (82) Rules of the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 10 February 2005 It was paid annually and a warrant placed in the share account wallet on receipt.
The Co-operative Group relaunched its own membership scheme in 2006. In 2008, the Anglia Society joined the new scheme under a reciprocal arrangement. The Society began allocating dividend through the card scheme, which members were able to use nationally at participating societies. This included food purchases, on which the Society had not previously paid dividend.The Co-operative Membership Anglia Regional Co-operative Society (retrieved 16 October 2008) A new rule book based on Co-operativesUK 12th edition model rules was approved by the membership and registered with the Financial Services Authority in 2009.Rule Book Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 6 October 2009 The Midlands Society also operated the membership scheme and similar arrangements continue with Central England Co-operative.
Anglia Regional Co-operative Party organise in Peterborough and west Norfolk.In your area: England The Co-operative Party (retrieved 9 December 2011)
Subsidiaries In 2008, Rainbow supermarkets and Co-op Local stores began the process of re-branding as The Co-operative Food whilst remaining part of the Anglia Co-operative Society. In 2011, adjacent petrol filling stations, previously supplied by Shell, moved across to Total, aligning buying with the Co-operative Retail Trading Group. The Co-operative Travel at Anglia Co-operative Society was a trading name of the Freedom Travel Group which, in 2012, became part of the Thomas Cook Group.
Division Outlets The Co-operative Food 27 (including 8 filling stations) The Co-operative Travel 15 (plus 10 bureaux de change) Anglia Co-operative Funerals 25 Westgate Department Stores 23 Westgate Opticians Peterborough, St. Neots and Hunstanton Stylistics Hair and Beauty Salon Peterborough
The Anglia Co-operative Funeral group incorporates R J Scholes (Bourne, Deeping St. James and Stamford), Harvey Brothers (Bungay), J H Landin & Son (Chatteris), A Coley & Son (Crowland), George James & Son (March), Watkins & Stafford (Peterborough), Dennis Easton (St. Ives), Fishers (Southwald), H E Bull & Son (Whittlesey) and M J Claypole (Yaxley) funeral directors. At the time of merger, the way the Society marketed its funeral business and the prominence of the Anglia Co-operative brand on private name funeral homes was being reviewed.Interim Statement of Trading Activities Anglia Regional Co-operative Society, 16 February 2013