CO-OP Atlantic

CO-OP Atlantic is a cooperative grocery store chain that operates in New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. It is separate from the CO-OP chain in Western Canada. However, they did use similar branding until 1998. CO-OP Atlantic has been owned by Empire Company since 2015. 
== History ==
In 1927, CO-OP Atlantic was founded. Their first locations were opened in Moncton, New Brunswick. CO-OP Atlantic is a cooperative grocery store, which means people from the surrounding community can purchase a stake in a CO-OP store and become a member. Each CO-OP store is separately owned.
Throughout the next few decades, CO-OP became a very successful grocery store. They eventually expanded into the rest of Atlantic Canada and a part of Quebec. CO-OP primarily did the best in rural communities where there wasn't any competition. By the 1980s, CO-OP had launched several new concepts, such as CO-OP gas bar, Valufoods, and Rite STOP convenience stores. 
Starting in the 1990s and 2000s, CO-OP began to decline because of competition from other grocery stores, mainly Sobeys and Real Atlantic Superstore.
In 1998, CO-OP launched a new logo and store concept to modernize the chain, around this time, they also made a new store concept called CO-OP Basics.
By the 2000s, CO-OP tried to position themselves as a discount grocery retailer, however, this was unsuccessful at bringing in more customers. People started to move away from rural communities in Atlantic Canada and move to larger population centres such as Halifax. However, CO-OP had no locations in Halifax. https://usaskstudies.coop/documents/books,-booklets,-proceedings/co-op-atlantic-final.pdf As populations began to decline in smaller communities, so did the CO-OP stores that served them. 
By 2006, CO-OP Basics was discontinued. Stores were ether closed or turned into standard CO-OP locations. 
By 2015, CO-OP Atlantic was on the verge of bankruptcy, to avoid this, the shareholders of CO-OP decided to sell their grocery stores and gas stations to Empire Company/Sobeys. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/sobeys-rebranding-co-op-atlantic-stores-1.3125622#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20a%20deal,will%20mostly%20become%20Foodland%20stores.&text=The%20gas%20stations%20will%20mostly%20be%20converted%20to%20Shell. After the merger, 5 CO-OP locations were converted to Foodland and 5 gas stations were converted to Shell or Sobeys Fast Fuel. 
Today, CO-OP continues to operate as a brand of Sobeys, CO-OP stores are mostly found in rural towns and villages. 
Category:Retailers
Category:Sobeys-owned companies
Category:1927 establishments
Category:Grocery stores
Category:Supermarkets
Category:Companies founded in Canada
Category:North America
Category:Canada
Category:Companies
Category:Franchises
Category:Brands