You don't choose to go to co-op

The Three cheese pasta melt alone makes the co-op one of my favourite food shops👏

I agree, I never choose to go to the co-op, I just seem to find myself there occasionally and always buy 3 or 4 things. Odd isn't it.
Never do a proper shopping shop there, never ever.

Love it but agree too expensive.

They do have nice wines and I love their pizzas and crisps.

You pay £4 for a box and the minimum worth must be £12 of the original price, with stock going out of date on that day. You cant pick up until 9pm and while you may well get a load of other stuff so makes it worth a lot more, you could just end up with a massive bag of bread.

I used to put the boxes together so trust me on this!

I go once a week to a large coop store near my work. Love having a mooch. This store often has orange sticker items and they’re reduced really well.

Price points go

Waitrose
Co-Op
M&S and so on.

I used to work there during Covid and until earlier this year.

They are vastly overpriced, and the staff are paid NMW. The duty managers, expected to open up, close down, take responsibility for other staff, security and all the cash and stock, get.....£1 an hour more.

There is a reason that they can't recruit. I left to go back to my old job and I have not been replaced. Hours budgets are slashed but productivity is expected to increase.

Its an appalling organisation despite its worthy beginnings. I worked for Central Co-Op covering a lot of the east mids and they are one of the worst in the group.

We have a Coop, a Sainsburys local and a small Waitrose at the end of our street and I will always choose the Coop first

Never had any issues with the freshness of food, they have good meal deals and also an Amazon locker which can be handy when you know you are going to be out at work

Dont have an issue with member prices as it’s just the same as having a Clubcard

I don't shop at my local coop as you need a small mortgage to afford the mcvities digestive biscuits. They aren't even posh biccies.

This is possibly the only sensible post in this thread.

Professional shopper here (mystery shopping, auditing, price checking). I used to audit the Co op every week. I am ashamed to admit I don't know how they're run, but suspect they may be franchises as they are SO different from each other. Most where I live are over-priced nightmares with a few good buys. Others (few and far between) are small superstores with the delight of having stuff you don't find in the main places. And if you go out of London, you can find some truly wonderful Co ops!

moral - you can't generalise about them.....

only for the reduced section / yellow labels or milk and bread

I do because the bakery section is the best smell in the world- better than all others, I may be odd I am aware but I never turn down a co op trip 🤣

We live in a village and it’s the only shop here so I use it quite a lot , things are expensive but I don’t mind for the convenience

It can fuck off purely for changing from a member dividend scheme to yet another two tier pricing abomination. Plus it is overpriced even with that.

I don't know what the West Country tastes like 🤔.

Is the too good to go price really a 3rd of the reduced price or the original price?

They have an excellent gluten free section.

Ours often completely runs out of veg, bread and milk.

I used to live in London where the Co-ops were dire. Now I’m in the southwest and they’re rather good. I’m happy to shop in my local one.

Our Coop have the best fresh fruit and vegetables. They also have good reductions in the evening. Ds3 got a Charlie the caterpillar cake for £2 earlier. Unfortunately he took it with when he went out tonight.

Hahaha! My DH commented on the price of those the other day, but it’s the Crunchy Nut that always stick in my mind. It was the first box of cereals I’d seen that wouldn’t give you much change from a fiver 😭

@NannyR My Dad likes to tell me exactly what he’s bought on yellow sticker reduction. 😂

His local Co-Op is a larger, centre of town shop and has quite a wide range of products. They’re usually busy so have fresh stock due to the high turnover.

Hah, not quite, Weetabix chocolate minis.

Someone will argue that the overcharging is to make you reconsider and buy something grim like bran flakes instead.

In my local area the co-op is often the only shop in the village (ex-pit villages so not exactly swimming in wealth), public transport is patchy, many don't drive and depravation rates are high. People often have very little options.

However they do stock a local bakery's products and the cheese scones are fabulous, though the one I pass the closest going to work doesn't have them in stock that often. (The delivery must be a bit later and they don't get that many)

Co op has the best lasagne

It was the Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut wasn’t it?

Like most people, I go as it convenient walking distance. I quite like ours, but it does have its limitations. I'd say most of the meat isn't great, bakery selection is quite good, wine fine, mostly it is mid range for quality I would say. The sandwiches are second best after Morrisons.