Co-op began 2025 with a new value campaign highlighting the permanently lower prices its members benefit from. The campaign highlighted the EDLP (everyday low price) component of member pricing, underlining this through its ‘Always on Member Prices’ tagline.
The step saw the Co-op continue to build on the transformation of its membership reward mechanic, which is being extended across shopper touchpoints to create tangible value through the proposition.
‘Member Prices’ at the core of the proposition
Central to delivering the economic value of membership is the exclusive prices that deliver value to members every time they shop in a Co-op store. This reflects a growing shopper preference for immediate rewards in terms of money off at the till, which resonates better with the shopper dynamics and missions in Co-op’s predominantly convenience-based store estate.
In 2024, Co-op continued to extend and enhance Member Prices as the extra-value tier to its promotional offer. In September, for example, the retailer tripled the number of products under the mechanic for the final months of the year. This saw it add more than 100 offers on branded and private label products to the initiative. These offers are now changed every three weeks, helping to drive footfall and bring shoppers back to stores more regularly.
Meanwhile, Co-op has extended member prices to its online offer on both Just Eat and Deliveroo platforms. This now gives savings of up to 18% on a range of 100 key everyday essentials.
More shops, more data, and improving opportunities to personalise offers
Data shows that Co-op members shop eight times more with Co-op than non-members do, so active members offer disproportionate value to the retailer. Personalisation is becoming a growing part of several UK retailers’ strategies and is an opportunity the Co-op is keen to benefit from too.
One area of opportunity is its three-item lunchtime core meal deal, a key footfall driver for the retailer and one that helps to put it at the front of shoppers’ minds when they are on a ‘food-to-go’ mission. It is an area where Co-op has used member prices to establish price leadership, with its long-term member price of £3.50 currently the lowest meal deal price point in the UK (vs £3.60 in Tesco).
These high-frequency purchases help Co-op generate data and insights on its shoppers, which will only improve over time. This can enable Co-op to personalise its communication with shoppers, rewarding them in a way they want, which will help drive further engagement. Ultimately, it will help Co-op deliver relevancy to shoppers, creating ever more personalised shopper journeys and customer experiences.
Kenyatte Nelson, Chief Membership & Customer Officer, said: “Our membership proposition is all about delivering real, tangible value to our customers every time they shop. By expanding our ‘Member Prices’ and leveraging data-driven insights, we’re creating increasingly personalised and rewarding experiences. With members shopping eight times more frequently than non-members, the opportunity for targeted campaigns has never been greater. We look forward to sharing more at the Co-op Trade Briefing in September on how suppliers can tap into this powerful and growing opportunity.”
Join the Co-op leadership team at the Co-op Trade Briefing from IGD on 18th September in Manchester to hear how they intend to take Membership to the next level and how you can grow your business with Co-op through leveraging these opportunities…book your place here
