Co-operatives Europe visit & Kaleb’s meet and greet at Chipping Norton
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Published 31 May 2024 in Phil's blog
Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Podcast – helping young people into work
On Wednesday this week, I was asked to record a podcast by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). This was hosted by their CEO James Lowman and along with myself there was a representative from John Lewis and also from Spectra Connect, which is a social interest group helping people into work. We discussed how our organisations are helping young people who have been in care or facing employment barriers to find work. For my part, I concentrated on our incredible Fairer Futures programme which we run from our Walsall Town Centre Store in partnership with Miss Macaroon. A great insight, I will provide a link to the podcast once it's ready for broadcast.
Being a Thought-Leading Pioneer: Co-operatives Europe Symposium and General Assembly in Brussels
Last week, our Chief Values Officer, Pete Westall, along with Thrive member Shani Knight-Cross, attended the Co-operatives Europe Symposium and General Assembly in Brussels, Belgium. An event that saw over 100 co-operators from European co-operatives, consultancy organizations, and scholars come together, Pete and Shani had the chance to share our co-operative difference in a world of growing purpose-driven enterprises.
With our very own purpose and trust pillars at the forefront of discussions, Pete shared how we are accountable for creating a fairer, more sustainable and ethical future. As a thought leading pioneer within the international co-operative movement, we received some great questions from the audience on our activities; from hitting our sustainability targets (if you missed these an update is available here) and measuring the work we do through our Steering Wheel, to aiding social mobility through initiatives such as our incredible Fairer Futures Programme in partnership with Miss Macaroon.
It was a great event all around for sharing best practices and learning on a global co-operative scale. A big thank you to Pete and Shani for representing us in this unique space. Watch Shani’s interesting vlog to learn more.
Kaleb Cooper meet and greet at Chipping Norton
I am pleased to report that last Friday, Kaleb Cooper, a well-known farmer and TV personality, hosted a special meet and greet at our Chipping Norton Food store. A hugely successful event, it showcased the strength of our partnership with local partner Hawkstone Brewery.
Taking place outside the store, Kaleb met with over 450 enthusiastic fans and members signing copies of his book as well as giving out samples of the Hawkstone cider and Jeremy Clarkson’s bespoke beer that we sell in 93 of our stores.
Proud to be the first major food retailer to stock Hawkstone cider and beer; since launch, we have been running an exclusive member offer on Hawkstone products that has led to over 35,000 units being sold. Exceeding all sales expectations over the last 5 weeks, it has taken in £100k. All thanks to the extensive point-of-sale materials and in-store displays, it’s a brilliant result with a local supplier.
With 32 locations featuring large Kaleb cutouts for customer selfies, stores got involved too with a special competition for the best Hawkstone display. So, I’m excited to announce the winning store is Bicton Heath! Congratulations, I hope the store enjoys the Hawkstone hamper prize that includes Kaleb’s books, branded merchandise and brewery tour tickets.
Well done to our Bicton Heath Food store for winning the best Hawkstone display!
Overall, the campaign has been a resounding success, and I look forward to more initiatives that engage our members and customers helping to promote our exclusive local partnerships. A thank you to the local team, marketing & our stores for making this a success.
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