You don't choose to go to co-op

[yourdelilah]

My hubby tells me he loves it but I just think it's expensive and never has what I want, except wine 😂 Am I missing something!?

I have a Coop and a Waitrose right next door to each other. I will still go into the Coop more than Waitrose. It’s much bigger, has a better range, nice staff and I don’t find the prices bad at all. Only annoying thing is it’s size means it’s restricted hours on a Sunday

This is in South London. I did live in North London and the local Coop there was grim. So I guess it is swings and roundabouts

No, your local Co-op is shite. Ours isn't.

As for the Waitrose comment from a pp - we don't all live near a Waitrose.

The Co-op did my Dad's funeral many years ago.

My Mum was offered the option of a discount or Green Shield (?) stamps.

She went for stamps - there were a lot of them to stick in the books.

We got a new living room carpet.

I use mine a lot. Its ethical and fair trade. It is run on grounds I like more than other supermarkets. I feel like I get more benefits from my coop card than other stores. and my local one is open longer than other places.

I used to live near a Waitrose. Then they closed it due to excessive shoplifting. This is why we can't have nice things. Thieving bastards.

I miss it.

Not very ethical the way they build new stores in small towns and villages that cause the existing convenience stores (often locally owned) to have to close down.

Co op for me isn’t cheap though it’s the nearest to me. In the past for convenience I’ve had Linda McCartney sausages from there along with co op own chips and peas, all very nice. Have also bought the odd tinned item or cat food from there and houmous. It’s the crisps I like too and chocolate plus SIL likes the sea salt and Chardonnay crisps.

I like it. A lot of their own brand and Fair Trade stuff is great.

I am not a fan but we have better and cheaper supermarkets closer. DS and his mates often go on their way home from school and he really likes it - says he knows where everything is

Have to say I don’t find all the chat about Co-Op being really expensive accurate. I have a Co-Op and a Tesco Express near me and the Co-Op is significantly cheaper and also has better range and availability.

I wouldn’t necessarily do a full shop there (prefer M&S for that) but it’s fine for break, milk or a few quick bits for dinner.

Coop prices aren't standard. Ours is a suburban one and has typical convenience store pricing, mostly competitive with the Sainsbury's local which has an average 5% markup on the big store a mile or so away (a d is sometimes cheaper as they do on the shelf special offers, rather than nectar pricing). Those in more rural areas, particularly remote ones often have a mark up to reflect the higher cost of delivering to them off the beaten track. I think they still have regional variations, too.

His story is that they were going to Weatherspoons for a meal, drink and then they would eat the cake. He arrived home around midnight in a taxi with the cake box in a bag. I have not asked how much is left. He’s 18.

great reductions super offers on the card if you join good staff

I love co-op! I go out of my way to go to our nearest big one.

Absolutely hate the coop. The stores for many years held towns to ransom where they were the only supermarket in town. I know of 3 towns where when another supermarket, in one case Waitrose opened, they closed down. They were expensive, never had any own brand goods, only over priced premium brands....and this was at a time when the co-op were the biggest farmers in the uk.

I worked for the co-op bank. Colleagues were lovely, direct line manager was eventually sacked well after I left. Lent money to ridiculous business ideas that were "right on" (it was the 1980s) like a bicycle courier firm, in Bristol, which is built on 7 hills!
The funeral service stores bodies in centralised warehouses (so I understand) so your loved one is carted miles away and if you want to visit, they are carted back and forth!

Could apply to any supermarket. I mean the products and the way they treat people. Rather deal with them than other organizations.

We've got one close by, it's awful. I only go because they have free parking unlike the other two supermarkets nearby so it's handy for popping in on the way back home.

Expensive, fruit always looks past it's best, crap choice of veggie offerings, always having stock issues. But, it's main crime is that the staff constantly chat to each other on those little headsets even if they're serving you and it's so rude.

We only have two supermarkets in my town, Asda or Co Op. I have to pay to park at Asda if you can find a space and its the worlds most badly laid out store, so unless I drive 7 miles to the next nearest supermarket, the Co Op it is even if the stock levels are a bit random

I can confirm that the coop do the best pistachios. Much better than supermarkets and other brands I've tried.

There does seem to be a bit of a postcode lottery as far as the Co-op is concerned. Both Co-ops near me are excellent.

@SleepToad however, I agree that the Co-op bank is shite. DH changed his business account to them because they made an offer too good to refuse, but their onlne banking is unbelievably awful.

Forgot about this thread but have loved reading the replies 😂 I'm asking for the macaroni cheese, S&V crisps and bread next time he goes!!

It IS expensive but super friendly! My local one is, anyway.

Is that before or after the fruit flies from the bananas hit you?

Ours is so close it would be rude not to. I like my bananas slightly green and on that front they deliver 🙌.
Agreed it’s not the Waitrose experience though - shoplifting is rife in our one 🙄

My tiny Co-Op is great.
Mine does a really nice sourdough with olives in it Love this bread, and the local section with cheeses I can only get by going to the farm gate otherwise.