Tag Archives: The Co-operative Food

Rise And Shine With The Co-Operative Food And Win £100 To Spend On Your Breakfast Favourites

When you want to put a spring in your step at the start of the day, the best way is to tuck into a hearty and nutritious breakfast that will set you up for the rigours of the day ahead.

And right now, you can take a giant step in the right direction, by entering The Co-operative Food’s weekly draw, for a chance to win £100 in vouchers to spend on your favourite treats for the most important meal of the day.

What’s more, because this is a weekly draw, you can enter each week and give yourself more than one chance of winning one of our mouthwatering top prizes.

The Co-operative Food is giving away seven £100 vouchers each week for the duration of the competition, and if you enter the competition on one week, you’ll even receive an email reminding you of the closing date for being included in the following week’s draw.

Alex Webb, Brand Manager Digital, from The Co-operative Food, said: “With families everywhere finding it tough just now to keep their fridges and kitchen cupboards stocked, we wanted to lighten the load on some of our loyal customers by giving them£100 to spend on ensuring that everyone can start the day on the right note, with a healthy and filling breakfast.

“If they wish, the lucky winners will be able to fill their fridge with a host of quality British products which are sourced especially for The Co-operative.

“So not only will they be helping themselves to a tasty prize, they’ll be able to mark the coming Diamond Jubilee in an appropriately British way – with a great traditional breakfast, all on us!”

Each entrant can also choose to receive a special breakfast bonus in the shape of vouchers entitling them to 50p off a one-litre carton of Tropicana orange juice, and a 200-gram jar of Nescafe Original instant coffee.

Entries for the last draw close on Tuesday May 22, and no purchase is necessary to take part. Entry is free and simple – just complete the online form at http://www.goodwithfood.co.uk/breakfastclub, where you will also find the full terms and conditions.

Via EPR Network
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The Co-Operative Flies The Flag For Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

The Co-operative Food is flying the flag for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a £10,000 party fund to give community groups and neighbourhoods across the UK the chance to win one of 100 street parties.

The community-based retailer, which has a store in every UK postal area, is backing the royal revelry as it gears up for what is expected to be one of the busiest summers on record with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Euro 2012, Wimbledon and the London Olympics.

The Diamond Jubilee weekend may be two months away, but “Jubilee fever” is already sweeping many parts of the country, with a bumper number of applications for road closures for street parties according to the Local Government Association.

People holding street parties over the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend (2 – 5 June, 2012) can win £100 worth of Co-operative vouchers to put towards the food, together with a party pack full of street party essentials including red, white and blue bunting, balloons, papers cups and plates, and Union Jacks.

Party organisers can enter by visiting Co-operative Food’s Diamond Jubilee Page and saying what’s special about their community and why they’ve decided to host a street party. Judges will be looking for entries that most touch their hearts and are the most community focused. The competition, launched today (12 April 2012), runs until 30 April 2012 inclusive.

Sales soared over last year’s bumper bank holiday for the royal wedding as shoppers made the most of the extended weekend and, with another extended bank holiday break for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, retailers are anticipating a repeat performance as party fever grips the nation.

Moreover, with three major sporting events – Euro 2012, Wimbledon and the London Olympics – in quick succession, retailers are hoping the sales momentum will continue throughout the summer.

The Co-operative is marking the celebrations with a host of new products, including a Teddy Bear Gingerbread Biscuit sporting a Union Jack T-shirt and limited edition doughnuts decorated with red, white and blue sprinkles – both available from 2 May, 2012*.

The community retailer will also be introducing two limited-edition premium own-brand British beers, appropriately named “Jubilation” and “Salutation”, which will be in store from 2 May, 2012**. Jubilation is a pale, diamond-bright beer made with malt from Warminster and Bramling Cross hops from Worcester to create a refreshing taste with a distinctly hopped finish.

Salutation is a classic British bitter, and the careful addition of two historic hop varieties – Goldings and Fuggles – creates a darkly-delicious beer with a satisfying bitterness. Both of the beers, which are part of The Co-operative Truly Irresistible range, are brewed by hand at the Freeminer brewery in the Royal Forest of Dean.

The Co-operative will also be offering better-than-half price Champagne and half-price Cava***.

Helen Nunn, Head of Marketing for The Co-operative Food, said: “For millions of people, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is a celebration of everything that’s great about Britain, and street parties are a quintessentially British way to celebrate.

“They are great neighbourhood occasions and, as a retailer at the heart of the communities in which we trade, we’re getting behind the Jubilee celebrations at a local level with a helping hand to make people’s street parties extra special and memorable.”

She added: “This summer is a spectacular season of events, and we’re gearing up to ensure we have everything our customers need to make the most of these unique occasions and celebrate together with family and friends.”

For more information, to enter the competition and for full terms and conditions, including judging criteria, please visit Co-operative Food’s Diamond Jubilee Page.

Via EPR Network
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Get in-store Mother’s Day dedications at The Co-operative

With just a few days left until Mother’s Day, millions of people across the UK are no doubt wondering just how they’re going to show their appreciation for their mums this weekend. If you’re not sure how to make this Mother’s Day truly irresistible, wonder no more – because the Co-operative is offering you the chance to send a special message to your mum via its online and in-store radio station. If you’re stuck for ideas you’re unable to spend time with your mum this Mother’s Day, you can simply drop her a line through the Co-operative Radio.

To find out more, simply visit  goodwithfood.co.uk/radio to make a song request or leave a message for the Co-op’s resident DJs to read out on the day itself. Co-operative Food stores across the country will be tuned in to the Co-operative Radio next Sunday, so if your mum’s doing her shopping for Mother’s Day meals she may well hear your message or request while she’s out and about. And even if you’re not planning on visiting your local Co-operative Food store on Mother’s Day, you can simply choose to listen in online and wait for your song or message to appear.

Melanie Rushton – digital marketing and development manager at The Co-operative Food– encouraged anyone looking for a special way to mark Mother’s Day to get involved, and said it could be the ideal way to show gratitude to dedicated mums.

“This is a lovely way to help make Mother’s Day even more special, and put a smile on the faces of our hard-working and deserving mums,” she explained.

However, anyone who wants to request a track or send a message to their mother via the Co-operative Radio will need to be quick to avoid disappointment – the deadline for requests is on Thursday March 15th.

Via EPR Network
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The Co-operative Nets Top Marine Accolade

The Co-operative Group has been ranked top in the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) Supermarket Survey 2011, scoring 84% and earning a gold award for sustainable seafood.

As one of the most sustainable seafood retailers in the UK, The Co-operative was praised for its product labelling, Responsible Fish Sourcing Policy and sustainability initiatives.

The retailer doesn’t sell any of the products identified by MCS’s “Fish to Avoid” list and all its own-brand tuna is now caught using the pole and line method. Pole and line fishing is a more selective fishing method which results in less by-catch*, which reduces the impact of fishing on the biodiversity of a region.

According to The Co-operative Ethical Consumerism Report, which is published this week (Thursday 15 December), last year, UK sales of fish from sustainable sources grew 16.3 per cent, from £178m to £207m, twice the rate for total fish sales which increased 8.2 per cent.

The Co-operative Food’s Responsible Fish Sourcing Policy governs the sourcing of all its own-brand wild and farmed seafood including all food products, which contain fish, from ready meals to sandwiches. Each own-brand product is assessed to confirm the source is a responsible fishery, examining the individual species based on fishery location and method of catch; species’ resilience to fishing; by-catch estimates and whether species are endangered.

In 1998, The Co-operative was one of the first organisations to register support for the Marine Stewardship Council and has continued to work closely with them to promote responsible, environmentally friendly fishing practices.

Since then, The Co-operative has provided £200,000 to support UK fisheries to pursue Marine Stewardship Council certification. To date, 12 UK fisheries have benefited from this fund, including the entire Sussex inshore fishery comprising of 26 fisheries.

In 2009, the retailer supported the MCS’s Marine Reserves Now! campaign to lobby to adopt a policy manifesto commitment for 30% of UK waters to be Highly Protected Marine Reserves by 2020.

More recently, The Co-operative joined the battle to save the European eel with an innovative river navigation scheme designed to reverse the dramatic decline in eel numbers. Together with its partner The Rivers Trust, The Co-operative is building specially-designed passes, enabling eels to navigate physical barriers such as dams, weirs and flood defences which prevent them from reaching the slow-moving, upstream waters they require to grow to maturity.

In light of its work with UK fisheries, The Co-operative was also highly commended by MCS for the Best Sustainability Initiative.

Sean Toal, Acting Chief Executive at The Co-operative Food, said: “To top the Marine Conservation Society Supermarket Survey demonstrates our commitment to responsible sourcing and sustainable seafood. Our Responsible Fish Sourcing Policy, engagement in seafood sustainability initiatives and the work we have done to eliminate ‘Fish to avoid’ identified by MCS scored particularly highly.”

For more information about The Co-operative’s Responsible Fish Sourcing Policy visithttp://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/our-plan/Environment/Nature-conservation/.

Via EPR Network
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Canny Customers Finding Ways To Save This Christmas

Saving stamps are seeing a revival at Co-operative food stores as savvy shoppers find new ways to spread the cost of Christmas.

This year, The Co-operative is expecting its canny customers to cash in £2.5m worth of saving stamps, more than 50% more than the £1.7million spent on saving stamps for the whole of 2010.

The Co-operative’s saving stamps scheme enables shoppers to buy £1 stamps over the year, and then cash them in for the Christmas shop.

Throughout December, The Co-operative will pay out £50 for every £48 saved, giving an extra £2 for free.

Saving a little each week helps make Christmas more affordable and takes the worry out of financing the festive period. Customers can purchase stamps each time they go into a food store and then have more money at Christmas to treat themselves and their families.

The saving stamps can be used at The Co-operative food stores to pay for the Christmas shop on items such as a turkey and all the trimmings, a bottle of bubbly or washing up liquid for the cleaning up afterwards*.

Sean Toal, Acting Chief Executive, The Co-operative Food, said: “We’re helping families to make their Christmas more affordable by spreading the cost over the year. Our savings stamp scheme provides great value for our customers and enables them to enjoy Christmas yet still keep a grip on the purse strings.”

To find out more about The Co-operative’s saving stamps, customers can contact The Co-operative Customer Careline on (freephone) 0800 0686 727.

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Students’ One Big Idea Hits Supermarket Shelves

A product designed by budding entrepreneurs from a Hertfordshire high school has hits supermarket shelves across the UK.

The pack of ethical plasters, designed by three female students from Bushey Meads School, so impressed bosses at The Co-operative Group – and original Dragon, Doug Richard – that it’s going on sale in almost 1,700 Co-operative food and pharmacy outlets.

One Careplast plasters are the result of a nationwide competition to design the next One product for Global Ethics, whose products also include One Water and One Eggs, to fund community projects in Africa.

A Level students Emmie Rayat (16), Taylar Leak (17) and Deryn Hertz (17) beat hundreds of entries to design a product that could be sold in the UK to help those most in need in Malawi. They came up with a children’s plaster pack of funky animal-print plasters, sales of which will fund medical kits and bicycle ambulances in Malawi, where rural communities might be up to 15km away from the nearest health centre and medical supplies are often unavailable.

Bicycle ambulances enable healthcare volunteers to travel huge distances on otherwise inaccessible roads to reach patients in remote villages. They take an average of 25 patients a month to hospital – including pregnant women. The medical kits ensure that first aid treatment is available promptly to communities of around 1,000 people.

The talented trio will see the projects for themselves on a trip to Malawi later this year, courtesy of The Co-operative.

Emmie Rayat said: “We’re delighted that our product is going on sale in so many Co-operative outlets across the country. We were shocked to discover that the life expectancy of someone living in Malawi is 43 years, which is younger than some of our parents and incredibly young compared to people in the UK. We’re looking forward to the trip to Malawi and to seeing the communities that have benefited.”

Peter Marks, Group Chief Executive of The Co-operative Group, which has annual sales of £14 billion, helped judge the competition. He said: “The students certainly did their homework and showed real enterprise. They pitched their idea perfectly – from the animal designs on the plasters to the powerful messages on the packaging, it all linked back strongly to funding medication, staff and other health care in Malawi.

“I’m sure the One plasters will prove popular with our customers, as they bring together two key elements of The Co-operative Ethical Plan – inspiring young people and tackling global poverty.”

Via EPR Network
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Truly Irresistible Relaunch for The Co-operative

The Co-operative is relaunching and revamping its premium Truly Irresistible range, with the addition of 50 brand new products for 2011, and an elegant, sleek new look.

The Co-operative Truly Irresistible range provides quality, great-tasting and affordable food within easy reach. With a range of 400 products – including 50 brand new ones for 2011 – there’s something for every occasion – from an indulgent treat to share with family and friends, to inspiration for making the evening meal that little bit more special.

The stylish new Truly Irresistible logo and packaging, which has been created for The Co-operative by Manchester-based GJ Creative, exudes quality and provides a striking on-shelf presence for the premium own-brand range.

The range officially re-launches tomorrow (Wednesday 25 May), when many of the new products – perfect for summer eating – will be available. To encourage shoppers to try the Truly Irresistible products, the entire range will have a minimum of 25% off from 25 May to 14 June 2011 inclusive.

Sean Toal, Commercial Director for The Co-operative Food, said: “With continued pressure on everybody’s purse strings, many people are eating in rather than dining out, so the extended Truly Irresistible range is ideal for those looking to create quality dining experiences at home.

“We’ve added lots of delicious new products to our premium range, as well as reviewing every single Truly Irresistible product to ensure we’re offering the very best in terms of fantastic tasting, quality food at affordable prices for our customers and their families.”

The extended range includes higher-welfare British meat and poultry, as well as fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables and top-quality store cupboard ingredients – all perfect for scratch cooking.

However, there are also some delicious premium pre-prepared meals and desserts to add to any occasion, from family mealtimes and romantic nights in, to picnics and eating alfresco – and all within easy reach at local Co-operative stores.

The launch will be backed by a multi-million pound advertising campaign, which breaks tomorrow. The national TV advert features the now firmly-established family from The Co-operative’s “Passionate Plea” campaign, sitting down at a “table for four” to eat what looks like a restaurant-quality three-course meal, made with delicious Truly Irresistible products, including Parma ham, stone-baked mozzarella, tomato & pesto pizza, garden salad and lemon & summer berry torte. The ads created by TBWAManchester, will also communicate the “at least 25% off” message.

The Co-operative will also use its sponsorship of ITV National Weather to highlight its premium range, with idents featuring several of the hero products in a combination of relaxing summer scenarios and exhilhirating and enjoyable outdoor settings.

The Co-operative will also be extending its digital reach in support of the Truly Irresistible brand. The multi-channel approach will see a re-design of The Co-operative Food’s website ( www.goodwithfood.co.uk ). The new-look website, featuring the re-invigorated Truly Irresistible packaging, will be unwrapped on 25 May.

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