Highlights from the Co-op Group AGM in Manchester
The Co-op Group held its AGM on 17 May in Manchester, with members electing the Group’s directors, including member nominated directors and local representatives on the National Members’ Council.
The meeting, at the Co-op Live arena, started with an address by the Group’s chair, Debbie White. “Despite the significant challenges and economic headwinds which faced our businesses across the UK, our Co-op, the UK’s largest co-operative, is stronger today than it has been for many years,” she said.
She added that the Group had managed to significantly grow active membership numbers to 6.5 million and improve underlying profitability by 35% to £131m, while reducing net debt by 33% to £55m.
“We have continued to act on the issues you have told us concern you most, including retail crime, the environment, skills, employment and mental wellbeing,” she said, adding that the board remains “ready to listen and to engage” with members, act in their best interest and ensure that their voice is heard in the country.
White also offered an update on the board’s actions in response to last year’s AGM: measures included investing in lower prices for members, adopting new technology to reduce retail crime and supporting 400 projects to break patterns of offending.
Member sales now account for 40% of all sales in the food business and those sales grew by 22% in 2024.
The AGM continued with an update from board member Kate Allum on last year’s animal welfare motion. This was interrupted by a peaceful protest by Co-op Group members of the Humane League, who demanded that the retailer adopt the Better Chicken Commitment in full, by ending sales of genetically selected, fast-growing ‘Frankenchicken’ breeds. The campaign is backed by naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham who atttended the AGM.
Chris Packham outside the AGM
Allum said the Group adheres to all Better Chicken Commitment criteria except the breed, and argued there are practical reasons why changing breed is “not the right option at this moment in time”. Slower breeds would mean farmers needing to have more new barns, would have a high carbon footprint and affect members’ ability to afford a staple protein source, she added.
“We absolutely share our members’ passions for animal welfare,” said Allum. “Again, I’d say I am really proud of the progress that’s been made over recent years, and we will stay focused on continuing to explore any and all opportunities to improve standards across our supply chain.”
Members’ Council president, Denise Scott McDonald, also addressed the AGM, praising the retailer’s campaign _Owned by you, Right by you_ for attracting new members.
Her address was followed by an update from CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq, who began by thanking colleagues for how they dealt with the cyber attack at the start of May.
“I can’t think of another business in this country where the items and the motions that are being discussed and voted on, are so varied, and so meaningful,” she said.
In addition to investing in lower prices for members, the Co-op Group campaigned for tougher measures to combat retail crime, said Khoury-Haq. The government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which makes assaulting a shop worker a standalone offence, was an important achievement, she said.
Surveyed members had also told the retailer they want it to promote peace and co-operation.
“So we’re campaigning to make co-operation and co-operatives and integral part of how the UK government and non governmental organisations (NGOs) look to rebuild post conflict,” she said. The Group is also a founding member of the Fund for International Co-operative Development.
**Related:Debbie Robinson appointed chair of Fund for International Co-operative Development**
“That is a fund for co-operatives, led by co-operatives, and we did all of that because you asked us to,” she said.
Going forward, the Group will continue to focus on encouraging active memberships. Khoury-Haq said that members who shop with the Co-op spent £3.1bn last year, up 19% on the previous year, adding: “This active membership is our point of difference. It’s what makes us special.
“It’s unbeatable by others. It’s what will drive us forward into the future, but it’s also what helps us to have conversations about topics that really matter, even if, as we saw with the protest earlier, it means that we have to continue to have conversations to reach the right place between us.”
Turning to the International Year of Co-operatives, she said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the International Cooperative Alliance’s conference here in Manchester in July. Co-ops from over 100 different countries will be represented right here. It’s also even more important now more than ever that our co-op is at the forefront and leading this especially with the government’s commitment to doubling the size of the co-operative sector.
“We will continue to listen in 2025. We will continue to communicate with you in 2025. We intend to stay close and connected to what you’re asking for from our Co-op.”
Group CFO, Rachel Izzard, offered an update on the Group’s financial results, answering members’ questions about the potential impact of the recent cyber attack.
“Going into incidents like we’ve had for the last couple of weeks, we can go in with confidence that we had cash from the bank, and our balance sheet was in a good state to get through [the situation]… and manage that incident together and really pull through together,” she told members.
The issue was raised again by Central Co-op president Elaine Dean, who argued that the significant impact of the attack on the supply chain had shown weaknesses in the business recovery plan. Asked whether the Co-op Group board would review its operations to ensure that greater resilience to future incidents, White said the board would have a learning review. The Group had offered a better response to the situation than other retailers hit cyberattacks, she added.
The AGM also included a Q&A session during where members raised issues such as recycling, franchising, member engagement, deliveries, sourcing and early life care.
The session was followed by a short panel on the contribution of co-ops to peace, moderated by Paul Gerrard, the Co-op Group’s public affairs and policy director.
The panel featured representatives from Peace Players, a Northern Ireland charity using basketball to gather children from different communities to learn to play and live together; and al-Salam/Neve Shalom, a village where Palestinian-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli families live together peacefully.
All motions presented to delegates were passed. This included motions to approve the directors’ remuneration Report (motion 2) and executive pay policy (motion 3) and re-appoint Ernst and Young as auditors (motion 7).
Members voted to elect Lord Simon Woolley and Wais Shaifta as independent non-executive directors.
Motion 8 seeking approval to incur political expenditure, including donations and subscriptions to political parties, not exceeding £750,000 in 2026, also passed.
The AGM also voted on three Members’ Council motions. Members adopted motion 9, which asked the board to introduce a new member engagement and member-to-member communication programme to encourage co-operation and unity within local communities. The motion also asked the board to explore option to further support Co-op academies.
Similarly, motion 10 asked the board to work with other co-ops in light of the government’s commitment to double the size of the co-operative and mutual economy and the 2025 UN International Year of Cooperatives.
The board was also asked to support members with the cost of living crisis and responsible consumption (motion 11).
Two individual members’ motions – which are advisory, not binding – were also debated. Motion 12 asked the board to consumer setting a timeline for transitioning to slower-growing breeds of chicken and report on chicken welfare improvement at the next AGM. This was carried, with 90.94% votes in favour and 9.06% against.
Meanwhile, motion 12 asked the Board to cease all trading with Israel. The Co-op has not been sourcing any produce or own-brand products from the Israeli settlements since 2012. This was carried, 72.8% in favour, 27.20% against.
