Template:Infobox Co-operative The Scottish Midland Co-operative Society Limited, trading as Scotmid Co-operative, is an independent retail consumers' co-operative which originated in the Scottish Midlands, particularly Edinburgh and the Lothians. It was formed in 1981 by a merger of the Dalziel Society of Motherwell with the St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society which had been established in 1859. With over 4,000 staff, the chain now has over 130 supermarkets in Scotland and over 130 Semi-Chem health and beauty shops throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland, and parts of England.[1]
Like most retail consumers' co-operatives in the UK, ScotMid is incorporated as an Industrial and Provident Society, regulated by the Financial Services Authority.[2]
History[]
According to Edinburgh City Council, the former co-operative building at the west end of Great Junction Street has a distinctive domed octagonal clock tower, forming a major landmark.[3]
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In 1968, Leith Provident's[4] 1911 department store on Great Junction Street was still operating a then unusual overhead wire system that transported a customer's payment and dividend number from the sales assistant to the cashier, returning change and receipt.[5][6]
In 1995, Scotmid acquired the Scottish health and beauty retail chain Semi-Chem, followed in 1999 by the similar Northern Ireland business, Options.[7] Also in 1999, Scotmid merged with Prestonpans Co-operative Society in 1999.[8]
In 2000, Scotmid closed all 20 of its non-food department stores, which had made losses for five successive years.[9]
In 2003, Scotmid acquired Wakefield-based national distribution business, M & S Toiletries, which it sold in 2008 to Sert UK.[10][11]
In the early 21st century, Scotmid acquired several competing convenience stores in Scotland: Alldays, 13 SPAR stores and Morning, Noon & Night.
Scotmid added Dundas Fyfe funeral directors to its funeral operation. The head office moved from Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, where it had been since 1859, to a new purpose-built office near Newbridge.
The Leith co-operative merged with St Cuthbert's in the 20th century
Morning, Noon & Night[]
Morning Noon & Night was a Scottish convenience store chain set up in Dundee in 1991, by retailing executive Eddie Thompson (who became chairman of Dundee United F.C. in 2002.)
In 2004, Thompson sold the company to Scotmid for £30 million.[12].
This allowed Scotmid to add the 50 Morning, Noon & Night stores to its portfolio letting it expand into areas of Scotland, such as the Highlands, where it didn't previously have any stores.[13]
References[]
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Companies House Webcheck, Company No. SP2059RS, retrieved on May 10, 2008
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Leith Provident Co-operative Society was founded in 1878 and merged with St Cuthbert's in 1975 http://www2.co-operative.com:8080/Ext_1/ShHistory.ns4/$WebSharebook/Leith?OpenDocument
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite news
- ↑ Template:Cite news
External links[]
- www.scotmid.com – corporate site
- History of Scotmid
- www.scotmid.co.uk – convenience stores site
- www.scotmidfunerals.co.uk – funeral directors
- Semi-Chem – health and beauty shops
Template:UK consumer co-ops Template:Convenience stores