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Euan Sutherland the Co-operative Group is asking not just its own members, its employees,
its customers to have a say in its future it’s asking everyone in the United Kingdom.
It’s an unusual step for any business to take, why is the Co-op doing this?
Well the Co-op is Britain’s biggest customer-owned business and that puts us in a unique position
to engage with customers to listen to what they are asking us to do and to act and deliver.
And I think that there’s a huge opportunity as part of our review this year to set the
record straight, to include everybody into our thinking and to deliver a Co-op which
is going to be very strong in every community across the UK.
OK so how do customers have their say?
Well it’s very easy actually. You can go onto the website www.haveyoursay.coop, no
hyphen in the middle. And you can go on ... it takes about 20 minutes. And it couldn’t
be easier. I encourage everyone to have your say.
You’re paid as the CEO of The Co-operative Group to come up with the strategy. Aren’t
you just getting other people to do your work for you?
Look it’s very clear. I’m here to lead the organisation and given our recent troubles
I’m here to transform and turn around the organisation too. But because we are a customer-owned
business it feels only right that we go and ask our customers to contribute and have their
say, which is what we’re doing now as part of our wider review of the business.
Isn’t this just a PR stunt?
Absolutely not! Clearly this is vital; as a customer-owned business we should be asking
our customers for their view of what makes the Co-op great and what they want to see
as part of the Co-op’s infrastructure and detail for the future. So it’s clearly vital
for us to engage them in this process.
The very fact that you’re having to do this must be a criticism of past management at
the The Co-operative Group. How long has the Co-op been getting it wrong?
Well since I’ve arrived I’ve been dealing with a number of issues. And it seems to me
like we’ve lost our way a bit. We have been distant from customers, not understanding
exactly what we should be doing. So that is part of the strategic review. And clearly
a very important part of that is asking our customers to get involved and have their say.
What if you don’t like what people tell you? Or you find you can’t actually deliver
it? There is a risk that you’re going to disappoint a great many people.
Well I think we’ve got to be realistic. However what we’re committing to today is
that we’re going to listen and then we’re going to act. So if overwhelmingly our customers
ask us to do something we’ve really got to find a way to do that for them. Now some
of this may take a few years to get into place. This is not about quick fixes. It’s not
about a PR stunt. This is about fundamentally listening to customers and delivering what
they need.
What is it about the Co-op that makes it so special that it has the right to undertake
this kind of an exercise?
Well you’re right because some people might say it’s just the Co-op. It’s almost just
their corner shop ... just part of their smaller community. But we are more than that. We have
a history, a 150-year proud history, of acting on behalf of customers and members and communities
up and down the UK. We’re the only business that’s in every single postal area in the
UK. So we have a responsibility to bind the community together and help and to contribute
to that. And that’s what we’re taking really seriously.
How are you going to announce the findings of the survey?
Well we have committed that we will come back in our Annual General Meeting in May. And
we’re doing the survey in combination with YouGov. Their Chairman Peter Kellner has agreed
to come along and share the detail of that independently with all of our members. From
that point we’ll make it public and so everybody can see the results.
Have you filled in the survey?
I have. It was very easy, a great survey. It took just less than 20 minutes. And I would
encourage everyone to have your say.
And what do you want the Co-op to do?
I’m here to lead the turnaround and restore the Co-op to its former glory. And so that’s
my main message. That’s what I’d like the Co-op to do. I want to be – I need to
be – guided by the customers who own and trade with us every day.
Euan Sutherland, thank you very much indeed.
Thank you.