Diversity, equity, inclusion & Belonging

WHAT YOU'LL GAIN BY JOINING THE HUB:

  • Practical resources covering a wide range of diversity and inclusion topics, with actionable guidance tailored to your organisation.

  • Step-by-step support to help you kick-start or enhance your diversity and inclusion strategy.

  • Learning Labs - interactive online sessions co-hosted with our supplier partners, showcasing real world case studies and best practices.

  • Collaborative opportunities to celebrate and raise awareness of key inclusion events throughout the year

  • Connections to wider Co-op initiatives, including our academies, apprenticeship programmes, and community outreach efforts that deliver social value.

  • Self-assessment tools to help you track and measure your progress against key diversity and inclusion benchmarks.

90% of suppliers are currently members of the Endless Inclusion Hub, with 100% agreeing that it provides valuable support.

Together, we can build a more inclusive future - one partnership at a time.

We believe that being a co-operative means embracing the diversity of our members, customers, colleagues, and suppliers, and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

It also means using our collective strength and shared voice to champion social justice and drive positive change in the world around us.

OUR INCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY COMMITMENTS

1. GROWING OUR ENDLESS INCLUSON COMMUNITY

At Co-op, we believe inclusion is a journey best taken together

That's why we've created the Endless Inclusion Hub - a vibrant community of like-minded organisations committed to driving meaningful change.

HOW TO EMBED INCLUSION INTO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT:

  • Include diverse voices in consumer research, especially underrepresented groups.

  • Check ingredients for cultural, religious, or health-related restrictions.

  • Design accessible packaging with easy-open features and readable fonts.

  • Review your target audience to avoid unintentionally excluding any group.

  • Use the inclusion calendar to align promotions with cultural and religious events.

  • Connect via the Endless Inclusion Hub to support social value and marginalised communities.

Not every product will suit every customer - and that's okay.


What matters is that, together, our full range reflects the diverse needs of our communities.

We also tailor ranges locally, using ONS data to ensure we're meeting the unique needs of each area we serve.

2. BUILD AN INCLUSIVE FOOD PROPOSITION

At Co-op, we're committed to offering products and services that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.

This means putting customers first and recognising the different needs across age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, disability, gender identity, and caring responsibilities.

We also recognise that people often belong to more than one group. That's why we aim to avoid stereotypes and embrace the full complexity of individual identities.

3. INCREASE REPRESENTATION ACROSS OUR SUPPLY CHAIN

We're committed to building a workforce that truly reflects the rich diversity of communities we serve by 2030.

To achieve this we're actively gathering and analysing diversity data across our organisation - both overall and within individual business areas.

The work is driven by two key goals:

1. To break down systemic barriers and biases that have historically limited opportunities for underrepresented groups, especially in senior leadership roles.

2. To harness the power of diverse teams, which are proven to drive better decision making, greater creativity, and stronger innovation - ultimately helping our Co-op thrive.

We also encourage our supplier partners to share in this commitment and adopt similar practices to foster inclusion and equity across the wider business ecosystem.

PRACTICAL STEPS TO FOSTER A MORE INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE

  • Collect transparent diversity data to understand representation and identify gaps.

  • Support unrepresented groups in career development and progression.

  • Attract diverse talent and remove bias from recruitment process.

  • Use data to address inequality, including publishing pay gap reports when required.

NOT A MEMBER OF OUR ENDLESS INCLUSION HUB?