Southern Co-op Members have voted to join forces with Co-op Group.

Over 16,091 Members voted – significantly more than the first vote – demonstrating strong engagement from our Members in Southern Co-op’s future.

This represents an important milestone, giving us a clear mandate to progress our plan to join forces for the benefit of Members, colleagues and communities across the UK, while preserving the heritage and legacy of Southern Co-op and all that it stands for.

The next step is to register the transfer with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Once registered, all Southern Co-op assets, liabilities and employees will transfer to a subsidiary of Co-op Group with colleagues transferring under TUPE regulations, meaning existing terms and conditions of employment will be protected. This is currently expected to happen at the end of July 2026.

Alongside this, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will review the transaction, although this review won’t affect completion of the merger.

While the CMA process continues, Southern Co-op will operate as a standalone subsidiary within Co-op Group. We do not expect any immediate operational changes.

Members will still be able to use their Southern Co-op card and access the same benefits as usual and our stores and funeral homes will continue operating normally.