Co-Op membership

OfOne thing that is a bit more difficult than it appears is ensuring that you have the right Co-op membership as there are a number of retail societies and these days for offers at least these may not be interchangeable. The one in Chipping Campden used to be "Midcounties" which is now part of "Our Co-op".

I hold cards for Midcounties and the Co-op Group as they are equally common through Oxfordshire.

Some may not always issue actual cards routinely these days being more app based.

Hi Marco, I looked on the webpage for the Mid- counties Co-Op and they say there is an app on the Apple Store - even shows the new logo tile - but I can’t find it in the App Store anywhere. Maybe it’s so new it hasn’t been added yet. That’s why I thought I could enter my email and other info and have a card sent that way. That was another option given.

Maybe it’s so new it hasn’t been added yet.

It's probably not available on the US app store.

I gave in and got a Tesco Clubcard recently, but it's possible to scan a picture of any old random card at the checkout and still get a discount without signing up. A judicious Google image search will turn up what you need for the Co-Op equivalent. Probably a bit naughty, but it's an option. Failing that, wait until you're in the UK and you should be able to download the app without an issue I'd imagine.

Not available on the US app market. That would make sense Gerry. I might just wait and try to add it when we get there.

I joined the wrong coop. Got a card delivered that I can use if I’m ever on holiday in Manchester…

The Co-op don’t have that many member deals compared to Tesco where it’s become impossible to shop without a card. I wouldn’t worry about it. I still don’t have a card for the Co-op I actually use.

Regarding downloading of apps- the geographical settings are based on the location settings in your Apple account rather than where you currently are in the world. So I'm not sure you'd be able to find this app in the app store even once you are here unless you change those settings. But I'm not sure how big the savings with Co-op will really be without them- it's more Tesco you need one these days.

yes the Co-op card is of relatively little use as the member deals are not widespread. I don't have a branch that near to me anyway but don't see any obvious benefits to getting one- it won't give any extra savings on sale prices and as far as I'm aware from the branches I've been into doesn't give preferential prices on meal deals, at least in my part of England.
Maybe it does in Scotland or other parts of England with different societies.
I keep thinking about getting a card, but don't see any huge point and the Co-op has had a big recent data breach- further discouraging to me.

Cat VH has it right. If your phone is registered in the US, you won't be able to get those apps.

I tried both Tesco and Sainsburys while in the UK but they weren't available to me. And neither had any way of getting cards physically any longer.

Co-ops are small convenience type stores and are more expensive than the big supermarkets. It’s the type of place to pop in for milk and other necessities you need immediately. If you’re staying for a week you could get a large shop delivered from one of the big chains eg Tesco or Sainsbury’s. That’s what British people often do for self catering in areas where there isn’t a large store nearby.

Co-op membership is different to the other stores, it gives a few discounts like you expect (meal deals are usually available to anyone, although there might be 2 price levels) but it also gives discounts on things that will be no use (hopefully) like funerals and legal services! It also gets you a tiny amount of cash back periodically which is either paid to your UK bank account or posted to you as vouchers - so no use to you! And it gives voting rights like a shareholder to influence the way the business is run.

Tesco Clubcard and Sainburys Nectar are similar for discounts, with more sideways offers but no voting rights (so I can't influence the hopeless management at my local Tesco). The application form for Morrisons More put me off applying!!

Lidl Plus is the wild one. Only available as a phone App and probably only UK phones - but you don't have to have the phone with you! So if you can find someone who has it, just give their the phone number to the checkout staff who can enter it at the till, you would get the immediate discounts and the other person would build up their vouchers later!

Co-Ops aren’t all small convenience stores, they do have some larger ‘full’ supermarket branches, although they are less common.

All the main supermarket chains do online home deliveries. They are all much of a muchness really and availability isn’t necessarily dependent on what the nearest branches are to your address as deliveries tend to come from central distribution hubs rather than local stores,

You can also get grocery deliveries, in some cases same day, via Morrisons Supermarket on Amazon, and via Deliveroo and UberEats, although these are probably better for top-up deliveries than ‘big shops’.

That said, if you are planning to stay in a particularly rural area your options might be slightly more limited.

Sorry to hear of problems obtaining UK reward cards. I have a nectar card - Sainsburys have 2 large supermarkets close to where I live - but none of the other supermarket cards as I rarely go to other shops. The other loyalty card I have is a Boots Advantage card, which can give pretty big savings.

The attached gives details of the various cards, and details of joining requirements for the different cards (about two thirds down).

https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/supermarkets/article/loyalty-schemes-compared-a4ERY9a5NFJd

Thanks for all of the information about this. I saw there is a Co-Op on High Street in Chipping Campden, so I thought that might be the best place for us to go to pick up food items for the week. We arrive on a Sunday late afternoon. Is that the best place to go? I hadn’t thought about pre-ordering and have the groceries delivered, though. Just from a quick search it looks like the nearest Tesco is in Stow-on-the-Wold. Maybe that would be a consideration?

Most Co ops don't major on points from spend based schemes now; Co op Group for example has abandoned these entirely while Midcounties still offer them but not to new members until they have spent above a threshold which no short term visitor will reach.

So it is more unlocking the Aldi price matches or other member-only reductions and the personal rotating weekly discounts which are for example 50p off fresh raspberries.

One of the good things about the clear majority of Co-op stores is that they are small enough (floor size) to be exempt from the Sunday Trading Laws of 6 hours only usually 10am to 4pm or 11pm to 5pm. It seems the CC store is open from 7am to 10pm on a Sunday- of course you pay for that convenience but it is what it is.

Tesco Stow on the Wold is much bigger than the Sunday floor size so closes at 4pm.

If you have a delivery you can choose any supermarket. I’d expect them all to serve Chipping Campden. Ocado is an online only supermarket that sells Marks and Spencer products as well as other brands so a good choice if you don’t want to cook much as they have a fantastic range of prepared foods.

That’s a wonderful suggestion Helen. I looked at Ocado’s website and plugged in Chipping Campden’s postal code and they do deliver there. I also found an urban farm emporium called Fillet and Bone on High Street that we could use. The ready made Marks and Spencer options through Ocado delivery look tempting though!