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Co-op Group Plans Southern Co-op Takeover Pending Member Vote
The deal would add about 300 stores and three crematoria, while Southern Co-op members vote on the proposed transfer of engagements.
The Co-op Group announced plans to take over Southern Co-op, integrating the regional society's 300,000 members into the seven million-strong Co-op Group.
Ben Stimson, Southern Co-op's chief executive, said the deal secures the business's future, as the Portsmouth-based society has recently grappled with falling profits and higher costs.
The transaction includes roughly 300 food, funeral, and Starbucks coffee branches, while granting the Co-op Group three crematoria to re-enter the growing funeral market.
Members must approve the proposals, which would proceed through a "transfer of engagements" process expected in the final quarter of 2026 if regulators consent.
Kate Allum, Co-op Group interim chief executive, said joining forces creates new opportunities, as Co-op Funeralcare plans to introduce "water cremations" later this year.