Right to know
The Co-op's Right to Know policy is a commitment to provide the facts people need to make informed purchasing choices.
Facts about products are supplied to consumers on labels, in leaflets, on our Website and in response to individual letters, emails or phone calls.
1994 - Freephone Careline
The Co-op is the first retailer to provide a Freephone number and a Freepost address on Co-op Brand products to make it easy for customers to make enquiries.
1994 - Genetics
The Co-op announces a policy on Genetic Modification, taking the lead by labelling foods which have been produced using genetic modification. The Co-op remains the only retailer to label cheese when it has been produced using genetic modification and is therefore suitable for vegetarians. As technology develops and debate continues, the Co-op policy will be adapted to respond to changing circumstances and reflect consumer opinion.
1995 - Vegan Labels
'Suitable for Vegans' (as well as Vegetarians) is labelled on appropriate products.
1995 - Clear Labelling
The Co-op makes a commitment to ensure labels give as much clear information as possible. For example, the percentage of each key ingredient and the country of origin is declared on all Co-op Brand products, although not always required by law. The Co-op declares ingredients listings on toiletries in plain English instead of official Latin ingredient names which are not easily understood.
1995 - Co-op Brand suppliers
The Co-op will tell you the producer of its own label products. This information is available by calling our Freephone Careline.
1996 - Animal Ingredients
The presence or absence of animal ingredients is made clear on all Co-op Brand non-food products.
1997 - Honest Labelling
The Co-op identifies labelling 'tricks of the trade' which are used to make products sound bigger and better than they really are. The Co-op produces a code of practice and calls for industry to adhere to it. Consumer groups welcome the move.
1998 - Holiday second opinion
As part of its 'Traveller's Right to Know' customer-service policy, Travelcare becomes the first major UK travel agent to guarantee customers a 'warts and all' second opinion on their choice of holiday resort and accommodation from the Agents' Gazetteer, a respected and independent travel industry source.
1998 - Partnership Report
The Co-operative Bank becomes the first bank in the world to publish an independently verified sustainability report when it launches its Partnership Report. The award-winning annual report has set the benchmark by which other reports from across all industries are now judged.
1998 - Consumer Jury
The Co-op is the first retailer to give a jury of members and customers the power to change its labels if they feel consumers are being misled. This becomes a fundamental part of the Co-op's Honest Labelling campaign. Its existence ensures that consumer complaints are genuinely acted upon.
1999 - Launch of CIS Social Accountability Report
CIS is the first UK insurance company to commit to a thorough corporate social responsibility programme, which covers social and environmental commitments. This culminated in an annual Social Accountability Report featuring progress against targets. Its first report was listed in the world's top 50 sustainability reports by the United Nations Environment Programme - a first for the insurance industry.
1999 - Holiday complaints
Delivering on a promise in its Traveller's Right to Know' policy, Travelcare publishes the UK's first annual independent 'end of term' report on complaints against major tour operators, providing customers with all the information they need in order to make an informed choice.
1999 - Action for delayed passengers
Travelcare launches its first annual customer survey to discover how they are being looked after at airports during delays. The business gives customers postcards so they can relay their experiences as they happen, and then shares its findings with airport authorities and airlines.
1999 - Wine Ingredients Labelling
The Co-op is the only retailer to label the ingredients in wine in support of its commitment to be open and honest. This move is technically illegal, but in the consumer's interest. The Co-op lobbies the Government to change the law and calls upon the food industry to follow suit but continues to be the only retailer to put the consumer's interests before the law.
2000 - Honest brochure pricing
Travelcare teams up with independent tour operator Cosmos to produce the first nationally available summer holiday brochure with an honest pricing policy as its centrepiece. The prices in the brochure are guaranteed for a fixed period, allowing clients to book a holiday secure in the knowledge that it won't be on sale for less a few days later.
2000 - British Farm Standard
The Co-op supports the British Farm Standard and where appropriate incorporates the red tractor logo on its packaging.
2002 - Misleading holiday prices
Travelcare's Holiday Report exposes the misleading pricing practices of some tour operators who raise holiday prices just before the peak selling season, in order to show big discounts as an enticement to customers. Travelcare shares its findings with the Institute of Trading Standards and the resulting national publicity helps bring about a more honest approach to holiday brochure pricing.
2002 - Your Guide to Funeralcare
Co-operative Funeralcare launches Your Guide to Funeralcare, a comprehensive publication providing information on what to do when someone dies.
2002 CIS receives ACCA Award
In April, CIS receives the 'Best Social Report' award from the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants and AccountAbillity (ACCA)
2002 - Lie of the Label 2
Following on from its successful report that uncovered the seven deadly sins of dishonest food labelling in 1997, the Co-op revisits food labelling on behalf of consumers to see how things have improved and to move the agenda forward.
2003 - Holiday choice
As part of its bid to provide customers with facts to help them make an informed choice, Travelcare commissions a controversial 'mystery shopping' exercise. This clearly demonstrates that customers are not always given the best possible holiday choice when they visit major 'vertically integrated' travel agents, which have a vested interest in selling specific holiday brands supplied by their parent organisations.
2004 - Sustainability Reporting Awards
The Co-operative Bank and CIS celebrate after scooping three prestigious accolades at ACCA's UK Sustainability Reporting Awards: The Co-operative Bank's Partnership Report won the premier sustainability reporting award for the third time running, and a commendation for the electronic version of the report; and CIS was declared joint winner of the Social Report Award for the second time in three years.
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