I have been reading the history of the CWS Cooperative Wholesale Society ( co- op).
Although certainly not as big as it once was it is still a major player in the British foods and wholesale business. Food wise they are a big player in shop local convenience. Also big in the funeral business.
I was not aware that they also had their own shipping company. The first ship they had was the (Rochdale) Pioneer. I have tried to find photos of this ship but no luck. Can anyone post a photo of the ship?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Co-ope...lesale_society
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Co-ope..._Society_(CWS)
By the end of the 1930s, co-op factories were making wagons, barrels, furniture, bottles and jars, shoes, leather goods, caps, hats, shirts hosiery, ties and other garments, cattle feed for co-op cows, seeds for co-op farms, radios, rope and twine, cigarettes, candies, drugs, beef and poultry from co-op slaughterhouses, cutlery, biscuits and bread, jams and jellies, margarine and butter, and tea. The CWS milled the wool and cotton fabric that went into the clothing it manufactured.
The CWS also ran a steamship line, and a print shop that produced a daily newspaper and labels for CWS merchandise. It operated a coal mine as well as an engineering department that designed and built the CWS’s facilities. Life insurance and banking services were provided to members as well.
I am sure most members that live or lived in the UK will likely have been a member of the Co-op and had a Divi number. I know my mum was.
When I was growing up it was always the place to go to for school uniforms, now it is likely the place a few of us will go to to get boxed and dispatched.
