Coventry Co-operative Societies

Sorry to hear the Co-op may be closing, reminds me of a Max Boyce song The Pit Head Baths are a Supermarket now. Will there now be a song The Co-op is Student Accommodation now. A lot of business properties that close now seem to go to Student Accommodation now, so the Council loses a lot of revenue from Business Rates, students do not pay council tax so do not contribute to the loss in revenue. Alan H

Confirmed. That really will be the death of Corporation Street.

The building on the left side of Holmsdale Road was the grocery store, the building on the right hand corner was the emporium which sold clothes, materials, haberdashery, bedding etc. It was also the main office, I went there for my interview. If you look on google you'll see a row of Asian food shops at ground level and a clothing store on the first floor. It was a large store by the standards of the day and was more than simply functional as you can tell by the grand limestone cladding. I've mentioned it elsewhere but the shop had a pneumatic money moving system whereby cash was put in a small cylinder and sent to the cash office. Very busy indeed on divi day.

Gas Centre. I am sure it was the Co that sold clothes on the drip. First floor then the man from the Co would call weekly for his pound of flesh.

Norman C I did say I was not sure. There was also Spencer's in Bedworth which did the drip, I remember one of their sons used to call to collect the drips. Did you know two of my cousins June and Doreen Harvey who lived in Arbury Avenue, you may have also known my Sister Margaret Harvey, we lived in Sandown Avenue which backed on to Arbury Avenue. Nice photo of your garden and pond, I would imagine you get a few visits from the Herons. Alan H

I can remember the Co-op had what they called a "mutuality check (cheque?)" system whereby people could get the checks to spend anywhere in the Co-op and then a collector would call round and they would pay an amount off each week. I once had the job of burning the old used checks in the boiler at the Co-op funeral premises in Hill St. My first ever job was recording the payments made by hand in a large analysis book using a dip in pen and ink. I finished my working life putting in large computer systems, so I had a foot in both the traditional and the modern of accounting

Hi all Another big Coventry shop becomes a thing of the past from October. Coventry city centre's landmark Co-op store to close in October after being sold off to developers From its lively beginnings in 1954, my lasting memories are of it being akin to "Grace Brothers" (sit-com) almost in a time warp, with more staff than customers. A convenient dry walk through on wet days, from the Belgrade area to the central shopping arcade. Co-ops were very much the subjects of economic studies, for accountancy students, where they came into existence so as to thwart the power of early industrial mill owners who dominated where & how their employees (slaves) lived. Episodes of "First of the Summer Wine", gave a glimpse to the manner & style of co-op trading.

A store stuck in a bygone age. Customer service STILL exists in my local Co-op in Nuneaton, and I'm sure the Coventry store still instils those values. I remember the reindeer ride at Christmas as well, but MY endearing memory is in 1983 and in the basement level, Coventry City had a stall with the new kit displayed with 2 players, one being new signing Stuart Pearce. An unknown to many, but he took his duty VERY seriously with a positive approach to his task. VERY polite and well mannered. I 'think' the other player was Ian Butterworth, who WAS known, but he was more interested chatting up impressionable females than to promote the new kit. My abiding memory was 'I know who is a more model professional there'. I was right!

Hi all More comments regards the closure of the Coventry Co-op central store.

That last sentence in the Telegraph article is worrying "A place changing scheme".... changing to what.?

Hi all For those of us who have all of our natural senses, our ability to see is so powerful. Traders have always known that, which is why they display goods in their shop windows. Sadly, out of hours, many have to shutter windows up, but no problem, as nowadays, 70% of us can view shop windows on line. That is the huge mistake I believe, for our Co-ops, who even if not fully trading on line, at least should have made their trade visible, just as Argos, M&S & BHS have had to. I have fears for our market in the same way, which may be reduced to a food-hall in time. The Co-op also misses out because it fails to trade with trade on-line, so has a much reduced purchasing power. A tunnel vision management syndrome, I fear, stuck in a time-warp.

Yes that's a shame Philip because a lot of the senior citizens don't even own a computer or even a mobile * (* I don't for one) but I could not live without my PC. It's lovely not having to go out in the heat or rain to pay bills. What 'can't' you buy on line these days. I can't imagine Coventry without the Co-op. Most of the inside of our first home was furnished from there. Only this month, I have bought some new shoes on line. (I can't help myself) Most of the stores send out catalogues anyway. Now we have been informed our Premier wants to extend trading hours and abolish penalty rates. I can smell trouble afoot.