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Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Co-op supermarket chain to stop sourcing goods from Israel, Iran and 15 other countries
The Co-operative Group, one of the UK's biggest supermarket chains, will stop sourcing goods from Israel, Iran, Russia and 14 other countries where it says there are "internationally recognised" rights violations. The Co-op, which operates about 2,300 grocery shops in the UK, has listed about 100 products which it will stop sourcing - including Israeli carrots. The retailer has announced it will gradually implement its ban - which covers countries including Syria, Belarus, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan - over the next month. It said the list has been compiled based on "where there is agreement across respected assessments, such as by the UN and others, that there is consistent behaviour which would constitute community-wide human rights abuses or violations of international law". This comes after members of the Co-op voted to remove Israeli products from its shelves last month. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Around 73 percent of the consumer co-op's members supported the non-binding motion that called on the board to show 'moral courage and leadership' by banning Israeli products. The motion cited a previous motion passed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to "boycott Russian products". Bristol Apartheid-Free Zone: The campaign door knocking for a boycott of Israeli produce Read More » 'We urge the board to show moral courage and leadership, apply the same ethical principles and values it did to Russia, and take all Israeli products off the shelves," read the motion. Campaigners with the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement have since 2005 called for consumers to boycott Israeli products until it complies with its obligations under international law. There have been boycotts in many parts of the world against US companies over the country's support for Israel. Pakistan's interior ministry said on Saturday that around 160 people had been arrested after groups of Palestine supporters carried out 20 separate attacks on KFC restaurants, with one employee shot dead. Calls for boycott intensified after Israeli franchises of international brands, such as McDonald's and Pizza Hut, offered free meals to Israeli soldiers at the start of the Gaza war. Local franchises of such brands are usually operating on a licence basis, where a local company adopts the menu, uniforms, and branding of the company to sell to a local market.
Middle East Eye
19-05-2025
- Business
- Middle East Eye
UK: Co-operative Group members vote to ban Israeli products from supermarkets
Members of the Co-operative Group, one of the UK's biggest supermarket chains, have voted to remove Israeli products from its shelves over the ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip. Around 73 percent of the consumer co-op's members supported the non-binding motion that called on the board to show 'moral courage and leadership' by banning Israeli products. The motion cited a previous motion passed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to "boycott Russian products". 'We urge the board to show moral courage and leadership, apply the same ethical principles and values it did to Russia, and take all Israeli products off the shelves," read the motion. While the board is not obliged to implement the demands of the motion, it said it would take it into consideration as it reviewed the Co-op's sourcing policy. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'We expect our review on the sourcing policy to complete towards the end of the summer," said a spokesperson for the board. Abu Dhabi's Lulu supermarket complicit in settler colonialism in Kashmir, activists say Read More » Campaigners with the Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement have since 2005 called for consumers to boycott Israeli products until it complies with its obligations under international law. Following the Hamas-led attack and Israel's bombing and invasion of Gaza in late 2023, the BDS movement has stepped up its calls over what it says is a genocide currently taking place in the enclave. The health ministry said on Sunday the number of people killed in Gaza since the war began had reached 53,339, with 121,034 others wounded. More than 10,000 Palestinians are also missing and presumed dead. There have been boycotts in many parts of the world against US companies over the country's support for Israel. Pakistan's interior ministry said on Saturday that around 160 people had been arrested after groups of Palestine supporters carried out 20 separate attacks on KFC restaurants, with one employee shot dead. Calls for boycott intensified after Israeli franchises of international brands, such as McDonald's and Pizza Hut, offered free meals to Israeli soldiers before the war on Gaza began. Local franchises of such brands are usually operating on a licence basis, where a local company adopts the menu, uniforms, and branding of the company to sell to a local market.
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Co-op customers to notice shopping change from this weekend
Co-op customers to notice shopping change from this weekend Co-op issued a statement on Wednesday Inside a Co-op store (Image: Hull News & Pictures Limited ) Co-op customers will likely notice more variety in stores and online from this weekend as the group continues its "recovery phase" following a major cyber attack. The Co-operative Group has said it is bringing its systems back online 'in a safe and controlled manner'. The Manchester-based firm was forced to shut down some of its systems, which caused significant disruption across its retail chain and led to availability issues across its stores. The Co-op had also revealed that hackers stole members' personal data, such as names and contact details. It said there would be improved availability in its food shops and online from this weekend, while its stock ordering system is now fully online again. The mutual said it was also now able to accept all forms of payment, including contactless and chip-and-pin. Article continues below A spokesperson for Co-op said: 'Following the malicious third-party cyber attack, we took early and decisive action to restrict access to our systems in order to protect our Co-op. 'We are now in the recovery phase and are taking steps to bring our systems gradually back online in a safe and controlled manner.' The Co-op attack came after Marks and Spencer's click and collect and contactless payments ground to a halt in another cyber incident.
The Guardian
03-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Co-op to open at least 120 more grocery shops after profits rise five-fold
The Co-operative Group plans to open at least 120 more grocery shops this year after profits rose more than five-fold, but told the government that 'layering costs' on retailers could hit high streets and communities. The mutual, which owns more than 800 funeral parlours and an insurance and legal advisory business as well as operating more than 2,000 convenience shops, said changes to employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) and packaging regulations were expected to add £80m to its costs this year. It also lost £80m to shoplifters last year despite spending millions on new security measures. The business is introducing technology including electronic shelf-edge pricing and expanding its fast-track online grocery deliveries – where sales surged 46% last year to £460m – to help offset higher labour costs. The Co-op's chief executive, Shirine Khoury-Haq, said: 'We understand the government has a tough job, but it should look at layering of costs on the industry so it doesn't tip over the balance and impact high streets.' She called on ministers to do more on 'protecting small business from business rates and retail crime' and costs such as increases in NICs and new recycling schemes that 'stack and layer on smaller businesses'. The Co-op's profits jumped to £161m in the year to 4 January from £28m a year before as sales rose to £11.3bn, up 1.5% year-on-year. Food retail sales rose nearly 2% to £7.4bn, a pace of growth lower than the rate of inflation amid a tough convenience market as shoppers tried to rein in spending on little extras. Funeral services revenue rose 2.8% to £289m. Khoury-Haq said the Co-op's food business was 'insulated' from the effect of new US trade tariffs because of its focus on buying British, but she had 'real concern around consumer confidence as we see inflation coming through, rising energy costs and mortgages continuing to rise' and also 'concerns about costs on wider businesses and communities and high streets'. The Co-op said food costs continued to rise, although at a lower rate than seen in recent years. It invested £88m last year in keeping prices down for its members – who get special prices – and has announced it will match Aldi prices for members on key products. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Special offers, including lower prices on food and early booking for tickets to the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, helped the business increase its membership by just over a fifth to 6.2 million last year with the aim of reaching 8 million by 2030.
