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Thread: Toxteth Provident Co-Operative Society

  1. #1
    Senior Member SteH's Avatar
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    Default Toxteth Provident Co-Operative Society

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

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  2. #2
    Senior Member phredd's Avatar
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    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
    In the days when we had nothing we had fun.
    If tomorrow starts without me, remember I was here.

  3. #3
    Senior Member SteH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by phredd View Post

    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.

  4. #4
    Senior Member taffy's Avatar
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    Default Toxteth Coop Society

    Quote Originally Posted by SteH View Post
    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

  5. #5
    Senior Member phredd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taffy View Post
    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
    In the days when we had nothing we had fun.
    If tomorrow starts without me, remember I was here.

  6. #6
    Senior Member taffy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by phredd View Post
    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

  7. #7
    Senior Member john's Avatar
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    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
    " If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from".


    "I could have been a footballer - but I had a paper round"..Yosser Hughes

  8. #8
    Senior Member taffy's Avatar
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    Default Liverpool Coperative Society

    Quote Originally Posted by john View Post
    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.

  9. #9
    PhilipG
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    Default Early history of the Liverpool Co-op.

    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.

  10. #10
    Senior Member skgogosfan's Avatar
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    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.

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