Members of Central Co-op and the Midcounties Co-operative have agreed a merger proposal to create the UK’s largest independent co-operative Society.

The new Society, which gained formal approval on 2 December, will have more than 13,000 colleagues, one million Members and 500 food stores.

Legal completion is expected in January 2026.

Trading nationally through its Food, Utilities, Childcare, Funeralcare and Travel businesses, the new Society will remain rooted in the communities where both co-operatives were founded.

Irene Kirkman, President of Midcounties, said: “This is an historic moment for our two societies and the co-operative movement. The overwhelming proportion of Members that have voted in favour of creating our new Society shows the power of co-operation in action and as one Society, united by shared values and purpose, we can deliver even more for our Members, colleagues and communities.”

Its footprint will span Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Bedfordshire in the South and West, across the Midlands, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire, to Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire in the North, and Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk in the East.

Debbie Robinson, Central Co-op CEO, said: “Creating a new Society brings together the scale, reach and commercial opportunity to shape the future of co-operation in the UK. This isn’t simply about combining two organisations, it’s about building something new, something distinctly ours. Together, we can drive better value for Members, create career opportunities for colleagues and strengthen the communities we serve. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine what a modern co-operative can achieve.”

Members will now vote on a new legal name for the Society, which will be adopted following the legal completion. Central, Midcounties and Chelmsford Star sites and stores will continue to trade under their existing brands, all of which carry the internationally recognised ‘coop’ identity. The new name will apply to the Society’s legal entity only.