Ask yourself a simple question. If you were to rank the following supermarkets in order of preference, how many readers would put the Coop in one of the top two or three places? - Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Waitrose, ASDA & The Cooperative Wholesale Society? The number of readers who do put the Coop in a lofty position will certainly be few.
The other supermarkets are different; quality is generally better, there is more choice and variety of goods and most tend to be cheaper. Strange really, as when I was a lad, the Coop had a virtual monopoly in the three areas where I lived. Today, it can hardly cope with ALDI, NETTO and LIDL. A fair few Coop stores have closed down.The point is of course, that the 'wicked capitalists' have done a much better job for the consumer than has the good, Rochdale socialism of the Coop.
I rather wonder whether the dyed-in-the-wool socialists have sold out and use these bastions of the free market or whether they stick to their principles and do the weekly shop 'down the Coop'.
What do you think?