The Co-operative: Destination for Ethical Christmas Shop

September 1, 2009

The Co-operative, the UK’s largest convenience retailer, has unveiled details of its 2009 Christmas range and claims it will be top of the shops for ethically-minded shoppers.

The Christmas 2009 range includes Fairtrade chocolates and truffles, including the UK’s first Fairtrade Champagne truffles, and Fairtrade mince pies and Christmas puddings.

The Co-operative will also be stocking a range of Fairtrade foodie gifts, which incorporate the retailer’s own-brand Fairtrade coffee and chocolate.

The retailer also boasts a market-leading selection of Fairtrade wines, including the new Co-operative Fairtrade Sparkling Cape Rosé 75cl, due to be launched this month (September).

According to the Co-operative, the sparkling Rosé, which is from the Breede River Valley in the Western Cape of South Africa and made from 80% Shiraz and 20% Cinsault, is the first of its kind in the UK.

The Co-operative is also rolling out its higher-welfare Elmwood standard to all its fresh and frozen own-brand turkeys and turkey crowns this Christmas.

The turkeys are reared for longer in a more enriched, sunlit environment with more room to move about and perch. The Co-operative claims this produces a more tender, moist and flavoursome meat.

In another ‘green’ initiative, the Co-operative has made all of its gift wrap, tags and new gift bags 100% recyclable. Its own-brand Christmas cards, wrapping paper gift bags and tags are already FSC accredited, to indicate that products are made with wood fibre from forests that are well managed.