:It's a common branding for the shops managed by the Co-operative Group, as was the old cloverleaf logo that many still use. The different co-operative societies mostly have their own corporate logos that they use on their websites and publications. The article isn't yet finished, so it hasn't got the section showing the actual use of the brand (the "co-operative membership", "co-operative food", "co-operative funeral care" logos etc. The logo at the top of the article is the Group's corporate logo, but is also the basis of the common co-operative branding that is in the process of being rolled out across the consumer co-operative movement, and that's why its here. 
 :It is a most confusing situation, to be honest, brought about partly by the consumer society's desire to be both independent from each other but have the avantages of positive identification from pretending that the co-op shop in Leicester run by Midcounties is the same as the one in Manchester run by the Group. This article is an attempt to clarify the murky situation.