Co-op review

The Co-op was set up in 1863 as part of the co-operative movement and is owned by its members to this day. It now has more than 2,500 grocery stores. But what do shoppers think of it?

In the annual Which? supermarkets survey, 157 Co-op customers rated the retailer on everything from queuing time to the quality of its food and value for money. 

This enabled us to calculate star ratings for different factors, as well as awarding it an overall customer score.

Are Co-op stores any good?

Co-op at the bottom for the third year running

The Co-op came bottom of the heap once again this year, with poor two-star ratings for stock availability, product range and quality, where it received the lowest rating of all the supermarkets in this category. It was also the worst for value for money, where it received a dismal one star. 

However, its results could partly be explained by its business model being more like that of a convenience store, which means it's likely to have a smaller range and higher overheads than larger supermarkets. 

Co-op customers were fairly satisfied with the appearance of its stores and staff availability and helpfulness – it received a middling three stars for these measures – and were impressed by its queuing times, where it was rated four stars.

One unhappy shopper said: 'The store is dirty with stock lying in the isles not on the shelf and the staff are often not interested in helping... I only use it as it's closer than the larger shops.'

Another less dissatisfied customer said: 'The store is conveniently located and the staff are friendly, but shelves are sometimes empty and the prices are ridiculously high.'

• Find out more: see how the big players compare in our guide to the best and worst supermarkets

Does the Co-op sell online?

The Co-op doesn't offer a grocery delivery service everywhere, but it does offer delivery or collection within two hours from some stores. 

You can also order groceries from the Co-op through food delivery service Deliveroo and get your shopping in as little as 30 minutes. 

Customers in some parts of the UK, including Glasgow and Bournemouth, can also now order Co-op groceries on Amazon through their Prime membership and get same-day delivery.

In December 2022, Co-op announced it would be launching a partnership with Just Eat in early 2023. Customers will be able to order items from Co-op through the Just East app and website and have them delivered in as little as under 30 minutes. It's initially being rolled out to 50 stores, but Co-op plans to expand it to more than 1,000 by spring 2023.

• Find out more: supermarket price comparison: which is the UK's cheapest grocer?

Co-op in the news

In November 2022, Co-op said it would replace all the coloured milk bottle tops on its shelves with clear ones at all of its stores in towns, villages and cities as they can be recycled more easily.

In April 2022, Co-op said t it would remove use-by dates from all of its own-brand yoghurt and replace them with best-before dates to reduce food waste. Research showed that half of yoghurts are thrown away unopened because they're past the use-by date, but the acidity of yoghurt means it can be safe to eat after this.

• Find out more: what supermarkets are doing to help with the cost of living

Which? Affordable Food For All campaign

Which? has launched an Affordable Food For All campaign after it found millions of families are skipping meals to survive the cost of living crisis. 

In an innovative new study, undertaken with researchers from the Consumer Data Research Centre at the University of Leeds, we've identified 50 of the most at-risk areas for finding affordable food in the UK.

We're calling on supermarkets to commit to clear pricing, better access to budget ranges that enable healthy choices and more offers for those who need them most.

• Do you want to see supermarkets take action? Sign our petition