Co-operative Retail Trading Group
Encyclopedia
The Co-operative Retail Trading Group (or CRTG) is the central buying group for co-operative retail societies
in the United Kingdom
. It was established in 1993, and says that it supplies 100% of food bought for sale by co-operatives in the UK, after being joined by the last two independent societies in 2002. The group is organised by the Co-operative Group
on behalf of the other member societies, and is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
.
Until 1998, it faced competition within the retail co-operative movement from another grocery buying group, the Consortium of Independent Co-operatives (CIC) which was led by Co-operative Retail Services
. Several of the larger regional co-operatives of the time were members of CIC: Portsea, Scotmid
, United
, and Yorkshire. In 1998, the CIC supplied £1 billion of goods annually, and the CRTG £2.5 billion.
Consumers' cooperative
Consumer cooperatives are enterprises owned by consumers and managed democratically which aim at fulfilling the needs and aspirations of their members. They operate within the market system, independently of the state, as a form of mutual aid, oriented toward service rather than pecuniary profit...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was established in 1993, and says that it supplies 100% of food bought for sale by co-operatives in the UK, after being joined by the last two independent societies in 2002. The group is organised by the Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group
The Co-operative Group Ltd. is a United Kingdom consumer cooperative with a diverse range of business interests. It is co-operatively run and owned by its members. It is the largest organisation of this type in the world, with over 5.5 million members, who all have a say in how the business is...
on behalf of the other member societies, and is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
Ethical Trading Initiative
The Ethical Trading Initiative is an alliance of companies, trade unions and voluntary organisations working in partnership to improve the working lives of people across the globe who make or grow consumer goods....
.
Until 1998, it faced competition within the retail co-operative movement from another grocery buying group, the Consortium of Independent Co-operatives (CIC) which was led by Co-operative Retail Services
Co-operative Retail Services
Co-operative Retail Services Limited was the second-largest consumer co-operative society in the UK. In 2000, it was dissolved by its members, merging with the larger Co-operative Wholesale Society, to form the Co-operative Group Ltd.- History :In 1933, CWS formed a retail division tasked with...
. Several of the larger regional co-operatives of the time were members of CIC: Portsea, Scotmid
Scotmid
The Scottish Midland Co-operative Society Limited, trading as Scotmid Co-operative, is an independent retail consumers' co-operative which originated in the Scottish Midlands, particularly Edinburgh and the Lothians. It was formed in 1981 by a merger of the Dalziel Society of Motherwell with the...
, United
United Co-operatives
United Co-operatives Limited, or simply United Co-op, was the largest regional consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom until its merger with The Co-operative Group in 2007. The Society operated across Yorkshire, the north west and north Midlands of England...
, and Yorkshire. In 1998, the CIC supplied £1 billion of goods annually, and the CRTG £2.5 billion.