Co-op has launched a campaign titled Co-op26 as the UK prepares to host global leaders and changemakers at the COP26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow this weekend.
As part of the campaign, six of the group's flagship stores across the UK have temporarily ‘rebranded’ to Co-op26 with amplified exterior signage and window vinyl takeovers.
The retailer will also rebrand across its social channels to Co-op26 for the duration of COP-26 conference.
The campaign aims to get people asking questions about how they can impact climate change at a community level in a bid to engage customers throughout the COP26 conference and beyond.
Co-op26 Campaign
In addition to the six flagship ‘rebranded’ stores, all of Co-op’s 2,600 food stores and 830 funeral care homes will communicate the same in-store messaging via marketing materials, including a full package of interior POS such as hanging boards, shelf edge labels and bunting, exterior bollard covers, and in-store radio takeovers to encourage customers to get involved.
The campaign builds on the retailer’s recently announced partnership with ‘Count us In’, which aims to encourage one billion people to take practical steps in their own lives to reduce carbon pollution.
'Count us In' comprises 16 simple steps which individuals can take to help reduce their own carbon impact, including eating more plants, switching energy suppliers, cutting food waste, repairing and reusing appliances, and sharing experiences with friends and colleagues to raise awareness around climate action.
“Through the launch of the Co-op26 campaign and our partnership with Count us In, we want to grab the attention of communities all across the UK to get them thinking, asking questions and taking action, as well as equip them to use their voice and successfully activate the ‘tell your politician’ pledge,” said Steve Murrells, CEO of The Co-op Group.
Sustainability Efforts Across Co-Op Stores
The Co-op26 campaign builds on the publication of the retailer’s 10-point climate change action plan, where the retailer pledged to radically reduce the carbon that comes from its products and operations, to become a Net Zero business by 2040.
It also announced that it is to become the first supermarket in the world to sell fully carbon neutral own-brand food and drinks by 2025.
The group aims to achieve this goal by offsetting the direct greenhouse gas impact of producing own brand food and drinks, while neutralising the greenhouse gas emissions from running Co-op’s operations through carbon offsetting by the end of 2021.
The convenience retailer also made an industry-first move as part of its action plan to end the price disparity of vegan food and price match its plant-based range, GRO, to meat and dairy equivalents in store.
In addition to the 10-point plan, the retailer also launched Europe’s most extensive in store soft plastic recycling scheme, which means all own brand food packaging is completely recyclable.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
