Toxteth Provident Co-Operative Society

[SteH]

Anyone know anything about this? Took this pic in Old Swan earlier

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[phredd]

Ste,
That might have had something to do with the 'Provident Clothing Club' also known as the 'Provie' or 'Provy'.
The Provy man came to our house evert Thursday for his money.
So long ago its hard to remeber.

Phredd

[SteH]

Ste,
That might have had something to do with the 'Provident Clothing Club' also known as the 'Provie' or 'Provy'.
The Provy man came to our house evert Thursday for his money.
So long ago its hard to remeber.

Phredd

Thanks I did a google search but all that came up was it was involved in some big court case in 1915 thats been used as case law since for insurance disputes.

[taffy]

Anyone know anything about this? Took this pic in Old Swan earlier

This is simply a branch of the Toxteth Coop. They expanded into other areas outside Toxteth including West Derby and Old Swan. There was also a branch opposite St Paul's Church. Nothing to do with Provident Cheques

[phredd]

This is simply a branch of the Toxteth Coop. They expanded into other areas outside Toxteth including West Derby and Old Swan. There was also a branch opposite St Paul's Church. Nothing to do with Provident Cheques

Thanks for that Taffy.
Can you still get Provident Cheques ? = not that I need on .
Phredd

[taffy]

Thanks for that Taffy.
Can you still get Provident Cheques ? = not that I need on .
Phredd

Yes you can still get them but the interest rates are a rip off

[john]

Taffy further info

THE LIVERPOOL COOPERATIVE SOCIETY,
ENGLAND

the Liverpool Cooperative Society, Ltd., was
formed in 1915 by the amalgamation of the
City of Liverpool Equitable Cooperative Society,
established in 1886, and the Toxteth Cooperative
Provident Society, Ltd., established in 1891.

The Liverpool society is the largest coopera-
tive society north of Birmingham, having now
about 120,000 members, and an annual turn-over
of £3,000,000 ($14,700,000). It is building a
department store in the center of the city. It
practically controls the bread market and price,
so extensive are its bakery activities.

The depression hit the Liverpool society very
hard; unemployment was widespread, buying
power low, and private retail competition in-
tense. Another matter affecting retail trade is the
shift of about 100,000 people from the central parts
of the city to its outskirts, as new homes have been
built under the Government housing program.

In the worst of the depression period, the
society's annual trade fell as low as £1,000,000.
To meet this situation the society opened new
branch stores, engaged in a vigorous educational
campaign, and put management problems in
charge of committees of branch managers.
After the low point of cooperative sales, trade
was rapidly regained. The society has opened
about 30 new stores in the last 8 years, largely to
meet the shift in population to the outskirts.
A private chain of 45 grocery stores with a
weekly business of £10,000 was bought by the
society, under an agreement to take over the
employees, who numbered about 300. In the
opinion of the present manager of the society,
the deal was unfortunate and has handicapped
the society by its additional expenses.

The society's trade problems have not been
completely solved. Out of its 120,000 member-
ship, there are 30,000 who spend little or nothing
in its stores. The potential trade of the society
is calculated at £5,000,000 a year, but it reaches
only three-fifths of that amount. There are
many losses in new membership among those
whose enthusiasm wanes rapidly. In 1935, of
15,000 new members, only 5,000 remained
members for a full year. The management's
experience is that when a cooperative member
has remained in the society for a year his
affiliation is usually permanent.

Guild and other educational activities, includ-
ing circularizing of the whole membership and
visits to the homes of new members, are being
carried on in the effort to solve the membership-
trade problem. The society has 23 women's
guilds, with a total membership of 2,500.

At the time of consolidation of the two former
societies into the present Liverpool society,
their combined membership was over 33,000,
their combined sales £627,000, and their com-
bined capital £207,000. In 1933 the member-
ship of the consolidated Liverpool society was
over 116,000; its annual sales £2,500,000; and
its members' share capital, loans, and savings
bank deposits over £1,700,000. At present the
total capital is said to be about £2,000,000, of
which half is invested in the Cooperative Whole-
sale Society. An additional £500,000 has been
written off as depreciation.

The Liverpool society keeps a large portion
of its capital liquid in order to meet unexpected
calls for withdrawals of savings or share capital.
One specific instance of the wisdom of this

from 1937
http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=102429850

[taffy]

Taffy further info

THE LIVERPOOL COOPERATIVE SOCIETY,
ENGLAND

the Liverpool Cooperative Society, Ltd., was
formed in 1915 by the amalgamation of the
City of Liverpool Equitable Cooperative Society,
established in 1886, and the Toxteth Cooperative
Provident Society, Ltd., established in 1891.

from 1937
http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=102429850

Thanks John. I've not looked into the history of the Liverpool Cooperative movement. This was very helpful.

[PhilipG]

A good source is "The Story of the Liverpool Co-operative Society, Ltd. A Century of Liverpool Co-operation" by W. Henry Brown, 1929, available at the Central Library.
The first purpose-built Co-op store in Liverpool still stands.
It's the tall building in Camden Street - it opened in 1863.
It was later a Victorian Music Hall/Theatre.

[skgogosfan]

I don't know anything about them other than what's posted here,but there is a lovely floor mosaic advertising them in the entranceway to a shop in Durning Rd. It's next to the bookie's,the one with a wheatsheaf up on the front.

Dave.