Unicorn Grocery
Encyclopedia
Unicorn Grocery is a co-operative grocery store located in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
, Manchester
, England
. As a workers co-op
, it is controlled democratically by its member/owners, who run the business with a flat management structure and with an equal rate of pay. Ethics form the foundations of the business, and Unicorn's Principles of Purpose are the framework within which the business operates. Unicorn is closely connected to local sister company Glebelands Market Garden in Sale and owns 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) of peri-urban growing
land at Glazebury, Cheshire
. It sells a wide range of fresh, dried and processed food and drink, much of it organic
and with a focus on local
and Fairtrade sourcing, as well as household, bodycare and general grocery items. Keeping prices in line with the supermarkets, Unicorn is one of the largest independent wholefood groceries in the UK and has an annual turnover of around £3.5 million. During 2008 it won two national awards, named BBC
Radio's 'Best Local Food Retailer' and The Observer
Food Monthly's 'Best Independent Retailer'
that now forms part of Co-operatives UK. Roger has written at length on co-operative structure and employee participation and his model was first put into practice at Daily Bread Co-operative
, a workers co-op
in Northampton
(now with a sister branch in Cambridge) . The idea to set up a similar company in Manchester came about in 1994, based on the experiences of Adam York, who had worked in the Northampton shop.
The model revolves around direct, often bulk purchasing
(directly from manufacturers rather than distributors), on-site processing to add value, and competitive margins and pricing, matching supermarket prices. This all run by motivated owner/members following a clear social agenda. It is centred on a belief that decent, affordable food should be available to all, and that food reliant on cheap labour and high food miles
is not a long-term option for the food system.
Unicorn is based on the core principles of co-operative organisation, in that is that the business is owned and democratically run by its employees, (the membership of the co-op), and they are the people who receive profits or other benefits generated by the business. There are no outside shareholders, executives or owners. Like most co-ops, Unicorn has a social agenda in the work it carries out.
The way different co-ops are structured, and how these principles are carried out in practice varies hugely between worker co-ops – and therefore the level of control of the workers varies also. Some co-ops work with a fairly conventional management system with a conventional hierarchy, but in general co-ops are likely to have a much 'flatter' management structure, and Unicorn operates in this way. With a flat management structure and a flat rate of pay, in theory each co-op member has 'equal pay, equal say'. In practice, some differentiation may exist in that some extra degree of authority may come with length of service and/or type of person, but in essence all members have equal rights and equal responsibility in the running of the business. As co-op members, employees are shop workers and company directors, working on the tills as well as taking responsibility for the decisions that govern the business.
The co-op is almost completely 'fully mutual', i.e. all staff are members of the co-operative. The exception being that between 5 and 10% of hours needed can be performed by 'casual' staff. Experiments with a third level of non-member 'shop assistants' proved unsuitable for the co-op.
body and household products. All are sourced with the shop's principles in mind, with a focus on local, organic and fair-trade. As well as groceries, the shop provides a popular kids play area, lots of information about the products and what to do with them, and an innovative 'Green Roof
'.
In 2007 Unicorn members became land owners, purchasing 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) of growing land 14 miles (22.5 km) from the shop in Glazebury, Cheshire
, once again using loanstock to finance the purchase. Designed to improve and secure the shops's regional fresh supply, the land will be used to grow vegetables organically, for sale in the shop, cutting food miles
significantly.
loan and loanstock (a form of fixed term bond raised from supporters and potential customers). Turnover began at £4000 per year and in the first 10 years grew rapidly, reaching almost £4 million by 2007. This was matched by growth in staff, reaching a high of 51 in 2007, and in product range and floorspace which has also grown in line with increasing sales.
Having rented the site for 7 years, Unicorn faced closure in 2003 when owners 'Town and Country' decided to sell the site. Using £100,000 of loanstock bonds raised in a week a mortgage from Triodos bank, and additional funding from ICOF, Co-operative Action and Triodos Bank's Inspiring Change Scheme Unicorn raised the £1 million needed and bought the building.
Growth has necessitated organisational changes within the co-op, the most significant being the creation of a 'representative structure', a departure from all members attending the fortnightly members decision-making meetings. After the group swelled beyond 15 people, members divided into teams, and individual co-op members are now represented by 'team overviews' at fortnightly 'forum' meetings.
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As a workers co-op
Worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
, it is controlled democratically by its member/owners, who run the business with a flat management structure and with an equal rate of pay. Ethics form the foundations of the business, and Unicorn's Principles of Purpose are the framework within which the business operates. Unicorn is closely connected to local sister company Glebelands Market Garden in Sale and owns 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) of peri-urban growing
Urban agriculture
Urban agriculture is the practice of cultivating, processing and distributing food in, or around, a village, town or city. Urban agriculture in addition can also involve animal husbandry, aquaculture, agro-forestry and horticulture...
land at Glazebury, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. It sells a wide range of fresh, dried and processed food and drink, much of it organic
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
and with a focus on local
Local food
Local food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular...
and Fairtrade sourcing, as well as household, bodycare and general grocery items. Keeping prices in line with the supermarkets, Unicorn is one of the largest independent wholefood groceries in the UK and has an annual turnover of around £3.5 million. During 2008 it won two national awards, named BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio's 'Best Local Food Retailer' and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
Food Monthly's 'Best Independent Retailer'
Business model and structure
Unicorn is based on a model devised by Roger Sawtell, former chair of the Industrial Common Ownership Movement (ICOM), a co-operative federationCooperative federation
A co-operative federation or secondary co-operative is a co-operative in which all members are, in turn, co-operatives.Historically, co-operative federations have predominantly come in the form of co-operative wholesale societies and co-operative unions...
that now forms part of Co-operatives UK. Roger has written at length on co-operative structure and employee participation and his model was first put into practice at Daily Bread Co-operative
Daily Bread Co-operative
Daily Bread Co-operative is a Christian workers' co-operative specialising in packing and selling various wholefoods. It was the first Workers' Co-operative to register under what is now known as the 'white rules', and is listed as Co-op number 1 under the Industrial Common Ownership Movement ,...
, a workers co-op
Worker cooperative
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and democratically managed by its worker-owners. This control may be exercised in a number of ways. A cooperative enterprise may mean a firm where every worker-owner participates in decision making in a democratic fashion, or it may refer to one in which...
in Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
(now with a sister branch in Cambridge) . The idea to set up a similar company in Manchester came about in 1994, based on the experiences of Adam York, who had worked in the Northampton shop.
The model revolves around direct, often bulk purchasing
Bulk purchasing
Bulk purchasing is buying products in large quantities at a lower price per item, or unit price, than is available for smaller quantities. Wholesale is selling or related to selling goods in large quantities for resale to the consumer. Retailing is buying products in bulk at wholesale, and selling...
(directly from manufacturers rather than distributors), on-site processing to add value, and competitive margins and pricing, matching supermarket prices. This all run by motivated owner/members following a clear social agenda. It is centred on a belief that decent, affordable food should be available to all, and that food reliant on cheap labour and high food miles
Food miles
Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. Food miles are one factor used when assessing the environmental impact of food, including the impact on global warming....
is not a long-term option for the food system.
Unicorn is based on the core principles of co-operative organisation, in that is that the business is owned and democratically run by its employees, (the membership of the co-op), and they are the people who receive profits or other benefits generated by the business. There are no outside shareholders, executives or owners. Like most co-ops, Unicorn has a social agenda in the work it carries out.
The way different co-ops are structured, and how these principles are carried out in practice varies hugely between worker co-ops – and therefore the level of control of the workers varies also. Some co-ops work with a fairly conventional management system with a conventional hierarchy, but in general co-ops are likely to have a much 'flatter' management structure, and Unicorn operates in this way. With a flat management structure and a flat rate of pay, in theory each co-op member has 'equal pay, equal say'. In practice, some differentiation may exist in that some extra degree of authority may come with length of service and/or type of person, but in essence all members have equal rights and equal responsibility in the running of the business. As co-op members, employees are shop workers and company directors, working on the tills as well as taking responsibility for the decisions that govern the business.
The co-op is almost completely 'fully mutual', i.e. all staff are members of the co-operative. The exception being that between 5 and 10% of hours needed can be performed by 'casual' staff. Experiments with a third level of non-member 'shop assistants' proved unsuitable for the co-op.
Unicorn today
The business occupies a 10000 square feet (929 m²) site (including large storage and office space), has a turnover of around £3.5 million, and employs around 43 co-op members plus up to 10 casual staff. It sells a huge range of unpackaged organic fruit and vegetables, basic dried ingredients, prepared foods, chilled and delicatessen goods, organic bread and alcohol and environmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
body and household products. All are sourced with the shop's principles in mind, with a focus on local, organic and fair-trade. As well as groceries, the shop provides a popular kids play area, lots of information about the products and what to do with them, and an innovative 'Green Roof
Green roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems...
'.
In 2007 Unicorn members became land owners, purchasing 21 acres (84,984.1 m²) of growing land 14 miles (22.5 km) from the shop in Glazebury, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, once again using loanstock to finance the purchase. Designed to improve and secure the shops's regional fresh supply, the land will be used to grow vegetables organically, for sale in the shop, cutting food miles
Food miles
Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. Food miles are one factor used when assessing the environmental impact of food, including the impact on global warming....
significantly.
History
From an original working group of two people, the shop opened on September 21, 1996 with a working group of four members plus volunteers. Financial support and advice came from a number of sources, including the Industrial Common Ownership Finance Ltd (ICOF) Co-op Finance Team , a Triodos BankTriodos Bank
Triodos Bank N.V. is a bank based in the Netherlands with branches in Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain. It is a pioneer in ethical banking. Triodos Bank finances companies which it thinks add cultural value and benefit both people and the environment...
loan and loanstock (a form of fixed term bond raised from supporters and potential customers). Turnover began at £4000 per year and in the first 10 years grew rapidly, reaching almost £4 million by 2007. This was matched by growth in staff, reaching a high of 51 in 2007, and in product range and floorspace which has also grown in line with increasing sales.
Having rented the site for 7 years, Unicorn faced closure in 2003 when owners 'Town and Country' decided to sell the site. Using £100,000 of loanstock bonds raised in a week a mortgage from Triodos bank, and additional funding from ICOF, Co-operative Action and Triodos Bank's Inspiring Change Scheme Unicorn raised the £1 million needed and bought the building.
Growth has necessitated organisational changes within the co-op, the most significant being the creation of a 'representative structure', a departure from all members attending the fortnightly members decision-making meetings. After the group swelled beyond 15 people, members divided into teams, and individual co-op members are now represented by 'team overviews' at fortnightly 'forum' meetings.
Principles
Unicorn seeks to operate within a set of ethical and social guidelines, known as its 'Statement of Purpose' :- Secure Employment. The company aims to provide secure employment for its members. It seeks above all to provide a livelihood for its workers with some control over the working environment. It accepts the responsibilities and rewards of this challenge.
- Equal Opportunity. The company aims to reserve some employment for members with a learning disability. It operates on the belief that all should have an equal opportunity to undertake paid work. Ignorance and prejudice should not be an obstacle to this. The ability to carry out a minimum of 8 hours useful work per week entitles a worker to apply for membership. The respect and income derived from a job are important to many people in the society, which is one which values paid work highly.
- Wholesome Healthy Consumption. The company aims to trade in wholesome foodstuffs and household goods of non-animal origin. It trades in foodstuffs which have undergone minimal processing, in contrast to the steady trend towards a highly processed diet in this country. Specific product guidelines include the avoidance of added sugar, salt and animal derivatives. The company strives to sell products of organic standard and maximum nutritional value whenever it can find or generate a market. Provision of food educational materials help in this aim.
- Fair and Sustainable Trade. The company aims to trade in a manner which supports a sustainable world environment and economy. It trades preferentially in products which follow the "Fair TradeFair tradeFair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
" ethos, and alerts its customers to the problems of the cash crop agriculture. Unicorn are concerned that much of world trade is to the disadvantage of poorer nations, with negative consequences for people's health and lives. It operates a fund from which to support projects addressing and challenging this imbalance. 4% of the wage costs are contributed to this fund. The company trades in products which in themselves and in their packaging produce minimum impact on the environment, because it is concerned at the current large scale disposal or inorganic waste. Wherever possible it lobbies for the use of reusable packaging (e.g. glass containers of standard size). - Solidarity in Co-operation. The company aims to support like minded ventures, co-operatives or otherwise. It acknowledges both competition and co-operation as fundamental to human nature. It seeks to encourage co-operation by operating a fund to support projects which share its vision of community and society in the United Kingdom. 1% of the wage costs are contributed to this fund. The company promotes co-operative structures and spirit through all its trading, social and educational activities. Solidarity requires occasional boycotting of goods, services and companies and the promotion of such boycotts."
External links
- http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk
- http://www.glebelandsmarketgarden.co.uk