Our history.
Our Key Events
1974
Where it all began
We opened staff shops on factory sites supporting FMCG.
Founder, John Marren
1985
Opened Tankersley site
We constructed a temperature-controlled distribution facility in Tankersley, UK.
2011
A creation of membership stores
Company Shop Group created a network of membership only stores (Company Shop) and the first Company Shop store opens in Corby.
2013
Goldthorpe Community Shop opens
We launched the UK’s first social supermarket, Goldthorpe Community Shop to the public.
The first Goldthorpe store
2015
Queen’s Award for Enterprise
We won our first Queen’s Award for Enterprise and Sustainable Development.
2019
Processing capabilities & Scotland’s first Company Shop
Company Shop inspires with innovative processing capabilities and introducing processes such as Bottle Wash and X-ray. We also opened the first Company Shop in Renfrew in Scotland.
The Bottle Wash Process
The Renfrew store
2020
Our first distribution centre and £1.9m funding awarded
Company Shop Group opened the first regional distribution in Leicester. Also in 2020, we were awarded £1.97m of funding as part of the Government’s scheme to substantially reduce food waste.
2021
Joining forces with Biffa and another Queen’s award!
In 2021, Company Shop Group became part of Biffa plc. We were also winners of Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Promoting Opportunity category.
2022
100m items distributed and our 10th Community Store
Company Shop Group passes 100m items redistributed in a year for the first time. We also opened our 10th Community Store on Tong Street in Bradford.
Tong Street Community Store in Bradford
2023
Supporting 30,000 people
To date, Community Shop has supported 30,000 people through its development programmes.
