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Having rented the site for 7 years, Unicorn faced closure in 2003 when owners 'Town and
Country' decided to sell the site. Using £100,000 of loanstock bonds raised in a week a mortgage from Triodos bank, and additional funding from ICOF, Co-operative Action and Triodos Bank's Inspiring Change Scheme
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Growth has necessitated organisational changes within the co-op, the most significant being the creation of a 'representative structure', a departure from all members attending the fortnightly members decision-making meetings. After the group swelled beyond 15 people, members divided into teams, and
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The business occupies a 10,000-square-foot (930 m) site (including large storage and office space), has a turnover of around £7 million, and employs around 65 co-op members plus casual staff. It sells unpackaged organic fruit and vegetables, basic dried ingredients, prepared foods, chilled
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Unicorn is based on the core principles of co-operative organisation, in that is that the business is owned and democratically run by its employees (the membership of the co-op), and they are the people who receive profits or other benefits generated by the business. There are no outside
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The co-op is almost completely 'fully mutual', i.e. all staff are members of the co-operative. The exception being that between 5 and 10% of hours needed can be performed by 'casual' staff. Experiments with a third level of non-member 'shop assistants' proved unsuitable for the co-op.
160:, it is controlled democratically by its members/owners, who run the business with a flat management structure and with an equal rate of pay. Ethics form the foundations of the business, and Unicorn's Principles of Purpose are the framework within which the business operates.
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The company aims to support like minded ventures, co-operatives or otherwise. It seeks to encourage co-operation by operating a fund to support projects which share its vision of community and society in the United
Kingdom. 1% of the wage costs are contributed to this
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From an original working group of two people, the shop opened on 21 September 1996 with a working group of four members plus volunteers. Financial support and advice came from sources including the
Industrial Common Ownership Finance Ltd (ICOF) Co-op Finance Team, a
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sourcing, as well as household, bodycare and general grocery items. Keeping prices in line with the supermarkets, Unicorn is one of the largest independent wholefood groceries in the UK and has an annual turnover of around £7 million. In 2017, it won the
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body and household products. All are sourced with the shop's principles in mind, with a focus on local, organic and fair-trade. As well as groceries, the shop provides a kids play area, information about the products and what to do with them, and a
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The company aims to trade in wholesome foodstuffs and household goods of non-animal origin. It trades in foodstuffs which have undergone minimal processing. Product guidelines include the avoidance of added sugar, salt and animal
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loan and loanstock (a form of fixed term bond raised from supporters and potential customers). Turnover began at £4000 per year and reached £4 million by 2007. This was matched by growth in staff, reaching 51 by 2007.
272:, Cheshire, once again using loanstock to finance the purchase. Designed to improve and secure the shops's regional fresh supply, the land will be used to grow vegetables organically, for sale in the shop, cutting
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224:(now with a sister branch in Cambridge) . The idea to set up a similar company in Manchester came about in 1994, based on the experiences of Adam York, who had worked in the Northampton shop.
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231:(directly from manufacturers where possible rather than distributors), on-site processing to add value, and competitive margins and pricing, matching supermarket prices.
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The company aims to trade in a manner which supports a sustainable world environment and economy. It trades preferentially in products which follow the "
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In 2007 Unicorn members became land owners, purchasing 21 acres (85,000 m) of growing land 14 miles (23 km) from the shop in
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212:. Roger has written at length on co-operative structure and employee participation and his model was first put into practice at
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Unicorn is based on a model devised by Roger
Sawtell, former chair of the Industrial Common Ownership Movement (ICOM), a
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Unicorn is closely connected to local sister company
Glebelands City Growers in Sale and owns 21 acres (8.5 ha) of
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http://www.planningresource.co.uk/resources/HowWeDidIt/772085/Grocery-roofbecomes-biodiversity-showcase/
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individual co-op members are now represented by 'team overviews' at fortnightly 'forum' meetings.
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Food & Farming Awards 'Best Food
Retailer'. During 2008 it won two national awards, named
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The company aims to reserve some employment for members with a learning disability.
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Unicorn operate within a set of guidelines, known as its 'Statement of
Purpose':
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http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/pdfs/Blueprint%20for%2050%20Co-ops%20(2006).pdf
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518:"Affordable wholefoods and groceries - Unicorn Grocery, Manchester"
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http://www.triodos.co.uk/uk/static/pdf/uken_project_list_03.pdf
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The company aims to provide secure employment for its members.
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Unicorn raised the £1 million needed and bought the building.
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and delicatessen goods, organic bread and alcohol and
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89 Albany Rd, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 0BN, England.
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http://www.triodos.co.uk/uk/static/pdf/uken_tn16.pdf
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Sawtell, R. 'Blueprint for 50 Co-ops'. Available at
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Workers co-operative grocery in
Manchester, England
610:Tridos Bank 'Inspiring Change' Project list 2003
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553:http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/cme2522.htm
461:http://www.cooperatives-uk.coop/live/cme2021.htm
399:"BBC - Radio 4 - Food & Farming Awards 2009"
638:http://www.unicorn-grocery.co.uk/principles.php
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733:Food and drink companies established in 1996
718:Food and drink companies based in Manchester
374:"BBC Food & Farming Awards 2017 Winners"
196:Food Monthly's 'Best Independent Retailer'.
713:Worker co-operatives of the United Kingdom
565:"Unicorn appeals to customers for support"
251:Unicorn Grocery in 2011, prior to a refurb
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489:'Statement on the Co operative identity'
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492:"Statement on the Co-operative Identity"
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227:The model revolves around direct, often
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728:British companies established in 1996
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623:Triodos Bank Newsletter Autumn 2003
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723:Retail companies of England
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340:Solidarity in Co-operation.
330:Fair and Sustainable Trade.
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684:53.4457167°N 2.2767278°W
661:Glebelandscitygrowers.co
258:environmentally friendly
214:Daily Bread Co-operative
569:Manchester Evening News
430:. London. 30 March 2008
208:that now forms part of
206:co-operative federation
22:Unicorn Grocery Limited
689:53.4457167; -2.2767278
636:Principles of Purpose
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42:The Unicorn store in
654:Unicorn Grocery Coop
598:3 March 2016 at the
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167:land at Glazebury,
118:Number of employees
104:£8.0 million (2019)
59:Worker co-operative
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498:on 4 February 2012
479:on 6 January 2009.
317:Equal Opportunity.
311:Secure Employment.
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93:Headquarters
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222:Northampton
148:located in
69:Food retail
702:Categories
502:4 February
360:References
334:Fair Trade
302:Principles
274:food miles
263:Green Roof
154:Manchester
48:Manchester
270:Glazebury
190:BBC Radio
181:Fairtrade
112:62 (2019)
596:Archived
575:20 April
527:20 April
408:20 April
383:20 April
348:See also
336:" ethos.
169:Cheshire
65:Industry
44:Chorlton
656:website
627:page 10
614:page 11
280:History
173:organic
127:Website
109:Members
101:Revenue
83: (
75:Founded
434:26 May
343:fund.
177:local
141:is a
577:2021
529:2021
504:2012
436:2010
410:2021
385:2021
216:, a
179:and
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78:1996
265:'.
220:in
186:BBC
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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