Unicorn Grocery a workers co-operative

Britta Werner

About Unicorn Grocery• Wholefood grocery shop

located in South Manchester

• Sells fresh organic fruit and veg and over 3,000 different lines of grocery and non-food items

• Average customers a week 5,500 in 2013 and Average weekly sales £105,000

Our model• Direct purchasing • Competitive pricing• Bulk buying• Concentrating on

wholefood, encouraging cooking from scratch

• As local as possible, organic if possible, fairtrade

Our structure• All directors are workers • No elected management

committee • Weekly and fortnightly

meetings, larger decisions every 4 month.

• All decisions are reached by consensus

Why worker co-operative?

• More efficient and effective to have less hierarchy and have all members as employers, e.g. for strategic planning

• Employee engagement

• Trust, good communication, fair decision-making