Swop Co‑op – people power saving a much‑loved ethical shop

When Jess Currie was forced to shut her refill shop in Lewisham, South East London, to make way for a new housing development, her customers were devastated.

“I told people the shop was closing – and there was a huge outpouring of love and support. People wanted to help,” she said. “I knew I couldn’t do it all again alone. So I was relieved and happy when people put their hands up to help keep it going.” 

That’s when Jess, loyal customer Maria Freeman and a small group of other regulars hit on the idea of forming a co-operative. “We spent a lot of time thinking about which model we should adopt,” Maria explained.

“Should it be multi-stakeholder? Should we convert the old business or start afresh? There was a lot to unpick. But what united us was that we’d all been customers. We knew what we wanted – and what had been lost when the shop closed.”

The group eventually settled on becoming a worker co-op, with decisions and responsibilities shared equally. 

They also wanted their ethics to run through every part of the business. “It’s not just about buying from co-ops and fair-trade suppliers, though that’s really important,” Jess said. “It’s about the whole thing – where we bank, who provides our email service – everything we do should align with our values.”

To set up as a worker co-operative, the Swop Co-op team sought help from the Business Support for Co-ops programme, delivered by Co-operatives UK in partnership with The Co-operative Bank. They were awarded support from co-operative business expert Nathan Brown from Co-op Culture. 

“We wouldn’t have got to where we are without that support,” said Jess. “Nathan was so patient with us. Sometimes you need things explained a few times before it really sinks in. We could ask anything – about finance, business planning, even which internet provider to choose – and he’d either know the answer or go and find out.”

Alongside this Jess, Maria and the team were given peer mentoring support from Trinity Wholefoods, a worker co-op running a similar shop in Hastings.

“We had Zoom calls, we visited them, we had a look around and talked to staff,” said Maria. “They even shared their handbook with us. It was so reassuring to see that the problems we’d identified were real – and that there were ways to work through them.”

Jess was struck by how open Trinity Wholefoods were. “They told us how they divided up roles, with a permanent HR person and a deputy learning alongside them, so there was always continuity. 

“They were frank about challenges too. But the positives really stood out – like knowing that if you got ill, the business wouldn’t fail. Other members would step in. If you wanted to go on holiday, you could, and the shop would still be there when you came back.”

Swop Co-op is now registered as a worker co-op, having used Co‑operatives UK’s registration service – significantly subsidised by The Co‑operative Bank – to register with the Financial Conduct Authority. Co‑operative UK’s Advice Team assisted with drafting their rules, provided governance advice and dealt with the FCA as registrar on their behalf. 

The co-op comprises three founding directors and three further directors who’ve joined. “We’ll have to volunteer a bit at first to get going,” said Maria. “But we’re committed to paying all our co-op team members the London Living Wage.”

The team have been working on a customer survey to help shape their business and plan. They are also exploring options for new premises and are determined to continue sourcing from ethical suppliers. 

“People really valued the relationships, the slower shopping and the quality of what we sold,” said Jess. “Most of our food came from co-ops like Infinity and Suma, who work closely with growers. That’s something we want to keep right the way through.”

For both Jess and Maria, the co-op is about much more than reopening a shop. “It’s a good way to stand up for the society you want to be part of,” said Maria. Jess agrees: “We’re providing a service for people who want to shop ethically. It’s about taking ownership together – and building something that lasts.”

Find out more

Swop Co-op – Facebook