Penrith Co-operative Society
Encyclopedia
The Penrith Co-operative Society Limited, known locally as Penrith Co-op, is a small regional consumer co-operative
in the United Kingdom
. The society was formed in 1890 and today operates one department store with supermarket attached and eight small supermarkets or convenience store
s in Cumbria
and County Durham
.
When most other co-operatives in Cumbria merged into regional groups in the 1960s and 1970s, such as the Cumbrian Society and the Greater Lancastria Society (now both part of The Co-operative Group
), the Penrith society remained independent and has since taken over other small societies. These included the Keswick Co-operative Society in 1969; the Lazonby & District Co-operative Society in 1990; the Naworth Collieries Co-operative Society in 1993 which had branches in the small north Pennine villages of Hallbankgate and Halton-Lea-Gate and most recently, in 2002, the Stanhope & Weardale Co-operative Society.
The Penrith Co-op was featured on a 2006 episode of the national BBC Television
programme Working Lunch
for its support of the Melmerby
village store set up by residents. The Melmerby village shop has since closed down.
In 2008, the society began refurbishing its Penrith department store and supermarket, with a new theme of “the Number 19 Department Store”, with its various departments labeled or branded as being “@19”, such as the new brand for the clothing department: “Style@19”.
houses the following departments: grocery, butchery, bakery, fashion, health and beauty, electronics, hardware, beds, furniture, carpets and cafe.
(CRTG) and sells The Co-operative brand
products. It is also a corporate member of hybrid consumer and wholesale co-operative, the Co-operative Group
.
In 2005, Rochdale-based United Co-operatives
bought a private sector pharmacy
shop in Penrith which is now trading as Co-operative Pharmacy. However, this shop has no connection with Penrith Co-op's operations and, since United merged with the Co-operative Group
in 2007, it forms part of the Co-operative Group Pharmacy division.
In 2010 The Co-operative Group rebranded the Penrith branch of Somerfield
as a Co-operative Food store so Penrith now has two Co-op stores owned by two separate societies.
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...
. The society was formed in 1890 and today operates one department store with supermarket attached and eight small supermarkets or convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
and County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
History
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...
), the Penrith society remained independent and has since taken over other small societies. These included the Keswick Co-operative Society in 1969; the Lazonby & District Co-operative Society in 1990; the Naworth Collieries Co-operative Society in 1993 which had branches in the small north Pennine villages of Hallbankgate and Halton-Lea-Gate and most recently, in 2002, the Stanhope & Weardale Co-operative Society.
The Penrith Co-op was featured on a 2006 episode of the national BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
programme Working Lunch
Working Lunch
Working Lunch was a television programme broadcast on BBC Two which covered business, personal finance and consumer news between 1994 and 2010. The programme was first aired on 19 September 1994. It had a quirky, relaxed style, especially when compared to other BBC business shows such as World...
for its support of the Melmerby
Melmerby, Cumbria
Melmerby is a village in Cumbria, England. It is a small village with a population of around 200. It is relatively quiet because the area is not as popular with tourists as other parts of Cumbria...
village store set up by residents. The Melmerby village shop has since closed down.
Operations
In 2008, the society began refurbishing its Penrith department store and supermarket, with a new theme of “the Number 19 Department Store”, with its various departments labeled or branded as being “@19”, such as the new brand for the clothing department: “Style@19”.
Head Office, No. 19 department store and Penrith supermarket
The premises at 19 Burrowgate, PenrithPenrith, Cumbria
Penrith was an urban district between 1894 and 1974, when it was merged into Eden District.The authority's area was coterminous with the civil parish of Penrith although when the council was abolished Penrith became an unparished area....
houses the following departments: grocery, butchery, bakery, fashion, health and beauty, electronics, hardware, beds, furniture, carpets and cafe.
Branches
- Keswick Foodstore & Electrical Store, St James Court, Keswick, CumbriaKeswick, CumbriaKeswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
- Lazonby Foodstore and Post Office, LazonbyLazonbyLazonby is a village and civil parish in the Lower Eden Valley of Cumbria about north north east of Penrith.The total population of the ward of Lazonby, which also includes the nearby villages of North Dykes, Great Salkeld and Salkeld Dykes, was 1,425 at the time of the 2001 UK Census...
, Cumbria - Shap Supermarket, Main Street, ShapShapShap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
Cumbria - Hallbankgate Foodstore and Post Office, HallbankgateHallbankgateHallbankgate is a village in the English county of Cumbria. It is the principal settlement in the parish of Farlam, in the City of Carlisle district.. The village straddles the A689 Brampton to Alston road. It was formerly a mining village- both coal and lead were mined here. Limestone is quarried...
, Cumbria - Stanhope Foodstore, Off Licence and HandybankCo-operative BankThe Co-operative Bank plc is a commercial bank in the United Kingdom and Guernsey, with its headquarters in Manchester.The bank markets itself as an ethical bank, and refuses to invest in companies involved in the arms trade, global climate change, genetic engineering, animal testing and use of...
, Front Street, Stanhope, County DurhamStanhope, County DurhamStanhope is a small market town in County Durham, in England. It is situated on the River Wear between Eastgate and Frosterley on the north side of Weardale. The A689 trans-Pennine road meets the B6278 road from Barnard Castle to Shotley Bridge here.... - St Johns Chapel Foodstore, Market Place, St John's Chapel, County DurhamSt John's Chapel, County DurhamSt John's Chapel is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated in Weardale, on the south side of the River Wear on the A689 road between Daddry Shield and Ireshopeburn. The 2001 census reports a population of 307, of which only 43 are children under 16...
- Westgate Foodstore, Front Street, Westgate, County DurhamWestgate, County DurhamWestgate is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated in Weardale between St John's Chapel and Eastgate.Westgate is also the entrance to Slitt wood and an old abandoned lead mine. Other features of the village include a caravan site and a football and basketball court.-External links:...
- Frosterley Foodstore & Post Office, Front Street, FrosterleyFrosterleyFrosterley is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated in Weardale, on the River Wear close to its confluence with Bollihope Burn; between Wolsingham and Stanhope; 18 miles west of Durham City and 26 miles southwest of Newcastle-upon-Tyne....
, County Durham
Former branches
- Castlegate, Penrith (the society's original store)
- Castletown, Penrith (closed c.1970)
- Halton Lea Gate
- Scotland Road, Townhead, Penrith (closed c.1970)
- Penrith PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, (became part of department store in 1980s and later closed) - GlenriddingGlenriddingGlenridding is a village located at the southern end of Ullswater, in the English Lake District. The village is popular with mountain walkers who can scale England's third highest mountain, Helvellyn, and many other challenging peaks from here. The village has ample accommodation including two...
- Shap No2 and No 5
- Keswick Home Store
Co-operative movement
The society is a member of the UK-wide Co-operative Retail Trading GroupCo-operative Retail Trading Group
The Co-operative Retail Trading Group 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...
(CRTG) and sells The Co-operative brand
The Co-operative brand
The Co-operative is a common branding used by a variety of co-operatives based in the United Kingdom.Many in the UK mistakenly consider the Co-op to be a single national business, however each Co-operative is actually a franchise selling branded goods produced by the Co-operative Group The...
products. It is also a corporate member of hybrid consumer and wholesale co-operative, 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...
.
In 2005, Rochdale-based United Co-operatives
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...
bought a private sector pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
shop in Penrith which is now trading as Co-operative Pharmacy. However, this shop has no connection with Penrith Co-op's operations and, since United merged with 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...
in 2007, it forms part of the Co-operative Group Pharmacy division.
In 2010 The Co-operative Group rebranded the Penrith branch of Somerfield
Somerfield
Somerfield was a chain of small to medium sized supermarkets operating in the United Kingdom. The company was taken over by the Co-operative Group on 2 March 2009 in a £1.57 billion deal, creating the UK's fifth largest food retailer. The name is currently being phased out and replaced by the...
as a Co-operative Food store so Penrith now has two Co-op stores owned by two separate societies.
External links
- penrithco-op.co.uk – official website