Holiday Greetings

Dear co-operators, colleagues and friends,  

Another challenging year is coming to an end – a year distinct with persisting and new challenges; a year marked with hard work and positive results by the consumer co-operative movement across Europe. As the pandemic is nearing its third year, our thoughts and sympathy are with those who have lost loved ones or friends or who are in a critical situation.

Whilst national governments are doing their best to manage the health pandemic and its socio-economic repercussions, Europe’s consumer co-operatives focused their efforts and mobilized their capacity to support the 30 million individual members and the 7,500 local communities they serve.

Euro Coop is proud of our national members for their remarkable feats in maintaining their retail services, especially in rural and remote areas across the Continent, where people are most in need of support; but also, in extensively optimizing their supply chains, rearranging their product offers, catering to shifting consumer demands and implementing a flexible pricing strategy thereby alleviating the socio-economic pressure from the shoulders of millions of consumers – especially the vulnerable groups in our societies – and supporting local producers.

Our members developed these activities in stringent consistency with their inherent responsibility to the green transition. Great attention and resources were invested to improving the sustainability performance of their business operations. This was evidenced by the commitments of six frontrunner national members made by signing the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices in June. 

None of this would not have been possible without the solemn determination and undeniable professionalism of our 750,000 colleagues engaged in our stores, warehouses, back-offices and service lines, amongst others.

This collective determination allows us to embark on the work ahead of us with a head held high.

As the holiday period approaches, we wish you, your families, and close ones the warmest Christmas and New Year greetings! May 2022 bring us all better health, stronger joy and more shared moments with our loved ones.

With co-operative regards,

Mathias Fiedler                                                                        Todor Ivanov     
President                                                                                 Secretary-General   

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