The Co-op Group is set to take over Southern Co-op in a major deal that could see nearly 300 stores, including the one in Overton, brought under one organisation.
The proposed merger, which still needs approval from members, would bring Southern Co-op’s network of food stores, funeral homes and Starbucks outlets into the wider Co-op Group structure. While both organisations already trade under the Co-op brand, they currently operate as separate businesses, with the Co-op Group running nationally and Southern Co-op focused on the south of England.
Southern Co-op, which includes the store in Overton, is based in Portsmouth and has been serving communities across the region since it was founded in 1873.
If approved, the deal would also see Southern Co-op’s 300,000 members join the Co-op Group’s existing membership base of more than seven million, creating a significantly larger combined organisation.
Ben Stimson, chief executive of Southern Co-op, said the move would help protect the long-term future of the business while strengthening the wider co-operative movement.
“By coming together, we can secure the co-operative future of Southern Co-op as part of a stronger combined Co-op Group, whilst creating an even stronger voice nationally and internationally to advance the co-operative cause,” he said.
The agreement also includes three crematoria, marking a return for the Co-op Group to that part of the funeral sector.
No financial details of the deal have been released.
The merger represents a major shift for the co-operative retail sector, with the potential to reshape how Co-op branded services operate across the UK.
