Scotmid co-operative

Scotmid has announced plans to merge with fellow co-op society Seaton Valley.

In a short statement, Scotmid confirmed: The boards of Scotmid Co-operative and Seaton Valley Co-operative have met with a view to merging the two societies later this year. Executive teams from both societies will work together to draw up a timetable and plans for a potential merger.”

Scotmid is Scotland’s largest co-op and has 350 stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England. Seaton Valley has five stores in Northumberland and Tyne & Wear.

If the merger is approved it would strengthen Scotmid’s presence in the North of England. It took its food business south of the border for the first time in 2013 when it merged with Penrith Co-op. Those nine stores have since been renamed Lakes & Dales Co-op.

The merger would also be the first for the co-operative movement since Midlands Co-operative Society and Anglia Co-operative Society merged in 2013 to create Central England Co-op. The merger brought together the UK’s third and eighth-biggest retail co-ops, creating a society operating 227 food stores across 16 English counties and with a turnover of £1bn.