Anglia Regional Co-operative Society
| Company type | Consumer Co-operative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Wholesale) |
| Founded | 1876 (Incorporated 1887) |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Merged with Midlands Co-operative Society |
| Successor | Central England Co-operative |
| Headquarters | Burch House, Saville Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE3 7PR |
Key people | Harry Whitelock, Chairman John Chillcott, Chief Executive |
| Products | Grocer, Travel Agent, Funeral Director, Ophthalmic Optician |
| Revenue | £257 million (2007) |
Number of employees | 3,700 (2006 approx.) |
| Website | arcs.co.uk at the Wayback Machine (archived 26 September 2013) |
Anglia Regional Co-operative Society Limited was the fifth largest consumer co-operative in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the merger of the Greater Peterborough Regional and Anglia (formerly Waveney) co-operative societies in 1987. The Society had over 80 stores, principally trading in East Anglia. Head office was located at Westgate House, Peterborough until 2011.
The Society was a registered Industrial and Provident Society, a member of the Co-operative Union, the Co-operative Retail Trading Group and a corporate member of The Co-operative Group (formerly Co-operative Wholesale Society), the largest consumer co-operative in the world.
On 19 September 2013, it was announced that the boards of Anglia Co-operative Society and Midlands Co-operative Society had agreed merger terms. Approved by members on 4 and 18 November, legal completion of the merger took place on 1 December, with the Society transferring engagements to Midlands Co-operative. On 15 January 2014, members of the merged society approved a change of name to Central England Co-operative effective from 25 January 2014.