As we head into the festive season, I wanted to let you know how your National Members’ Council has been working for you, our 7m member owners, over the past few months.
Your Council is made up of 100 member owners just like you from all parts of the UK and we are passionate about making sure that the value you get as member owners is at the heart of everything we do.
Council Members – along with our Board Directors and local Member Activators – have met with tens of thousands of member owners both online and in person across the UK throughout the year to bring co-operation to life and hear what’s important to you and what more you want from your Co-op – from the products and services you buy to how, together, Co-op Members make a difference.
I’m looking forward to prioritising your views and ideas in 2026 as your Co-op boosts its support for members, shoppers, businesses and communities in Britain. Stay tuned for updates on how we’ve made your voices count and how you can continue to get involved.
Here are just some of the big things your Council has been working on recently:
Cost of Living
The cost of living is still a big concern for most of us and came out as the top priority for our members again in our 2025 Big Co-op Survey. Council asked for Member Prices that focus on the everyday essentials you buy most – not promotional one offs – and on healthy products. It was great to see these hit stores last year and be joined by even more fantastic offers as part of our Aldi Price Match in 2025. Soon, we’ll take this even further, as we’re reducing prices for everyone on over 1,000 products that are sourced from around the country as part of our commitment to quality, homegrown produce and UK farmers. That means that lower prices are always on your corner.
Your Co-op has also been working with members across the country to share sustainable cost of living tips on reducing food waste, batch cooking and meal planning. As part of this year’s autumn activities, we got some great suggestions from you on freezer deals, seasonal and local produce, and how you want to be rewarded for choosing us, building on what you told us last autumn. We’ll be continuing to champion value for our members and will be taking your ideas to to our business teams over the next couple of months.
On Your Corner, In Your Corner
I am proud that when others step back, our Co-op steps forward. As member owners, you told us you want us to do business differently and fairly, showcasing our values and what we stand for. In the last few months, we’ve focused on how our members can make a difference on issues they care about, just by choosing Co-op. That’s everything from how our products are sourced, to selecting local causes to support, bringing communities together and how we show you as our member owners about the difference you make in your communities.
You also told us that you’re worried about your high streets and having access to what you need, when you need it. Your Co-op will continue to renovate and open stores that you own around the UK in 2026, and we’ll use your views from our autumn conversations on how Co-op can help in this space to improve the experiences you have with us too.
A Strong Co-op for the Future
Our Co-op was the victim of a criminal cyber-attack earlier this year. We raised your questions about how the incident affected our members, and how our Co-op focused on providing services to members and customers at the time. We’ve continued to work with our Board to understand and ask questions about how our Co-op is performing and trading, our financial health, and how we are run so we have a strong Co-op for the future. This includes taking part in workshops on our 2030 strategy and continuing to evolve our democracy so that it’s more effective, accessible and engaging.
Co-ops for Good
Throughout this second UN International Year of Co-ops, Council has championed co-operatives and mutual businesses. I was delighted to hear that over 100,000 of you took part in quizzes, games and opportunities in 2025 about how co-ops build a better world and I hope it’s inspired you to choose, start and help grow co-ops in your area and across the UK.
Who we are
As your Co-op is a business that is owned by our members, we exist to do right by you. Your 100-strong National Members’ Council represents your interests to decision makers all year-round – championing what you’ve told us matters most and keeping it at the heart of what we do and how we do it.
We report to you, our member owners, every year in Co-op’s Annual Report. Find out more about Council and who represents you in my President’s Report and our Council Annual Statement for 2024 here.
More in Our people
Members discover the difference they make at our Co-op’s Right By You events
Our Member Activators supported more than 100 Co-op’s Right By You events across the UK in September, bringing members together to highlight the difference they make by choosing Co-op. Members discovered the impact of their everyday choices, learned about the positive change they’re helping to create and explored actions they can take to make an…
Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation
We’re proud to sponsor 40 Co-op Academies across the North of England, supporting more than 23,000 students to learn, grow and discover what it means to be part of a co-operative community. Our members have told us that helping young people thrive is important to them. That’s why we invest in careers and enrichment programmes…
Join us at a Co-op’s Right By You event this September
Throughout September, our Member Activators will be hosting and supporting over 100 Co-op’s Right By You events across the UK with chances to try great products and get money off. When you buy Co-op products as a Co-op Member, you can be sure we’re doing right by you. Fair prices and offers that help you…